Face  to  Face 


ROBERT  GRANT 


msm 


11 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


OF  GAMF.  MWURY.  T,O* 


FACE    TO    FACE 


By 

ROBERT  GRANT 


"Our  slender  life  runs  rippling  by,  and  glides 

Into  the  silent  hollow  of  tbe  past ; 
What  is  there  thai  abides 

To  make  tbe  next  age  belter  for  tbe  last  ? 
Js  earth  too  poor  to  give  u-s 

Something  to  live  for  here  that  sball  outlive  us?" 
—  Lowell's  Commemoration  Ode 


New  York 

International  Association  of  Newspapers  and  Authors 
1901 


,    t886,    BY 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


— BECKTOLD— 

PRINTING  AND  BOOK  MFG.  CO. 
ST.  LOUIS.  MO. 


PS 


FACE  TO  FACE 


I. 

WHO  can  fitly  describe  the  stretch  of  Thames 
water  between  Henley  and  Windsor  ?  The 
river  glides  past  daisy-crowned  fields,  groves  of  state 
ly  trees  and  close-cropped  lawns  with  a  tranquillity 
that  suggests  the  blithe  content  of  a  matron  whose 
spouse  and  children  satisfy  her  heart.  Here  is  seen 
the  perfection  of  finished  scenery,  telling  of  an  old 
civilization  self-centred  and  slow  to  change.  Now 
and  again  some  vista  of  overarching  boughs  affords 
a  delicious  glimpse  of  manor  house  or  ornate  villa, 
or  the  eye  lingers  among  the  ruins  of  Medmenham 
Abbey,  built  when  abbots  still  ruled  England  and  the 
dead  hand  of  the  Church  clutched  far  and  wide.  On 
either  side  the  landscape  spreads  away  into  the  dis 
tance  with  level  precision,  marked  by  the  gardens 
and  hedge-rows  and  thatched  cottages,  neat  even  in 
dilapidation,  of  a  conservative  yeomanry,  who,  en 
grossed  in  the  preparation  of  vegetable  marrows  for 
the  market,  scarcely  heed  the  gay  water-parties  that 

2129697 


2  FACE   TO  FACE. 

float  along  the  stream  with  the  buoyant  aspirations 
of  youth. 

One  morning,  early  in  the  summer,  a  young  lady 
was  taking  a  spin  before  breakfast  in  a  wherry  over 
a  portion  of  this  stretch  of  water.  Her  father's  resi 
dence  was  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  situated  near 
by  the  famous  Cookham  Reach,  the  most  charming 
bit  of  scenery  of  the  Thames.  It  was  a  pretty  little 
estate,  comprising  an  ivy-mantled  house  of  some  an 
tiquity,  but  recently  doctored  to  suit  the  prevailing 
fashion  supposed  to  be  in  vogue  when  Anne  was 
queen,  and  an  exquisite  lawn  kept  in  order  by  the 
overflow  of  the  current  which  at  times  penetrated 
the  cellar  as  well.  The  Honorable  Mortimer  Pim- 
lico  was  the  father  of  seven  daughters,  of  whom  the 
young  lady  in  question  was  his  youngest.  The 
family  goes  back  to  the  time  of  the  Norman  con 
quest,  with  great  credit  to  themselves,  and  can  point 
to  a  duke  as  ancestor  ;  but,  being  the  representative 
of  a  younger  branch,  Mr.  Pimlico  was  only  the  Hon 
orable,  and  from  a  stress  of  straitened  circumstances 
he  had  been  forced  to  swallow  his  pride  and  become 
a  banker. 

But,  despite  this  degrading  step,  for  which  he  had 
been  censured  by  the  head- of  the  house,  a  leading 
peer  of  the  realm,  Mr.  Pimlico  had  never  lost  sight 
of  his  aristocratic  claims,  and  the  hope  of  rehabili 
tating  himself  some  day  in  the  eyes  of  the  world 
had  given  a  zest  to  his  speculations.  He  had  pros 
pered  exceedingly,  so  much  so  that  he  had  been 
able  to  wed  his  three  eldest  daughters  to  men  of 


FACE   TO  FACE.  3 

high  rank,  one  of  whom  was  no  less  than  an  earl, 
and  to  dower  them  proportionally.  More  than  this, 
his  improved  social  position  had  lately  permitted 
him  in  turn  to  be  a  dictator  of  terms  instead  of  an 
aspirant  for  favors,  and  he  had  affianced  the  next  to 
the  youngest  of  his  girls  to  the  son  of  a  very  affluent 
brewer.  Nor  was  he  without  hopes  of  doing  equally 
well  for  the  others. 

There  was,  however,  notwithstanding  her  fine 
physique  and  excelling  beauty,  a  cloud  of  distrust 
in  Mr.  Pimlico's  mind  that  made  him  knit  his  brows 
whenever  he  thought  of  the  baby  of  the  family,  as 
Evelyn  was  still  called.  She  was  totally  unlike  the 
rest  of  his  children,  and  when  she  announced  her 
desire  to  become  a  student  of  Girton  College,  it 
was  as  though  a  thunder-bolt  had  fallen  upon  the 
domestic  circle.  He  had  himself  rather  a  fancy  for 
dabbling  in  the  laws  of  heredity  and  was  a  moderate 
disciple  of  Mr.  Gallon,  this  being  his  sole  inclina 
tion  toward  the  new  thought  of  the  day.  In  all 
other  respects  he  clung  tenaciously  to  the  old,  and 
took  care,  moreover,  to  hug  his  child  of  Satan,  as 
his  excellent  better  half  stigmatized  this  offshoot  of 
science,  with  circumspection.  In  his  distress,  how 
ever,  he  had  consulted  in  vain  for  a  prototype,  the 
genealogy  of  his  wife,  who  claimed  descent  through 
a  trio  of  orthodox  deans,  as  well  as  his  own.  Being 
a  conscientious  man,  he  further  put  the  question  to 
himself  whether,  in  deviating  from  the  beaten  path 
pursued  by  the  family  for  generations,  he  had  not 
been  guilty  of  setting  a  bad  example  ;  but  reflection 


4  FACE    TO   FACE. 

assured  him  that  there  was  a  wide  difference  be» 
tween  his  conduct  and  that  proposed  by  Evelyn. 
What  might  be  pardonable  in  a  man  became  mon 
strous  in  a  woman. 

Nor  had  this  been  Evelyn's  first  offence.  Ever 
since  childhood  she  had  shown  a  tendency  to  disre 
gard  precedent  and  authority  very  distasteful  to  her 
parents.  She  had  early  taken  the  stand  that  it  was 
her  only  brother's  part  to  fetch  her  slippers  rather 
than  hers  to  fetch  his,  a  proposition  aptly  defined 
by  that  young  gentleman,  with  the  applause  of  the 
rest  of  the  family,  as  savoring  of  radicalism,  a  word 
which  to  a  Pimhco  was  fraught  with  unspeakable 
horror.  They  were  one  and  all,  from  the  aforesaid 
peer  of  the  realm  to  the  most  insignificant  cadet  of 
the  stock,  staunch  Tories,  whom  nothing  could  shake 
in  their  allegiance  to  party  principles,  and  who  still 
grieved  at  heart  over  the  disestablishment  of  the 
Irish  Church  and  the  passage  of  the  Reform  Bill. 
To  say  that  they  viewed  with  distrust  the  innovating 
spirit  of  the  times  would  be  a  very  mild  statement 
as  compared  with  the  truth,  and  there  was  no  one 
among  them  more  stable  in  the  profession  of  his 
faith  than  the  Honorable  Mortimer,  who  would,  if 
he  could  have  had  his  way,  have  banished  Mr.  Glad 
stone  from  the  national  councils  as  an  enemy  to  the 
permanence  of  law  and  order  ;  and  when  in  the 
bosom  of  his  family  he  gave  vent,  as  was  often  the 
case,  to  the  vehemence  of  these  feelings,  he  found 
an  admiring  chorus  in  six  of  his  daughters. 

The  reason  why  Evelyn  was  permitted  to  have 


FACE    TO  FACE.  5 

her  own  way,  and  graduate  from  Girton,  was  due  t« 
her  having  announced  as  an  alternative  her  inten 
tion  of  eloping  with  a  young  man  in  the  neighbor 
hood,  of  an  intelligent  cast  of  mind  but  lowly  ori 
gin,  with  whom  she  had  become  intimate  in  her  six 
teenth  year  through  the  medium  of  a  common  taste 
for  boating.  Great  as  was  the  shock  that  a  child  of 
the  Pimlico  blood  should  desire  to  be  unconven 
tional,  it  would  palpably  have  been  even  more  humili 
ating  that  her  future  should  be  blasted  by  a  plebeian 
misalliance,  for  already  it  was  apparent  that  in  per 
sonal  charms  she  was  to  be  the  most  favored  of  the 
seven.  Accordingly,  she  was  packed  off  in  disgrace 
with  all  possible  secrecy  as  to  the  whereabouts,  and 
the  family  ignored  her  existence,  so  to  speak,  dur 
ing  the  term  of  four  years  that  she  remained  at 
college.  During  her  visits  home  in  vacation  the 
subject  was  never  broached,  except  when  her  father 
took  her  aside  and  sought  to  appeal  to  her  pride, 
by  showing  how  famously  her  elder  sisters  had 
prospered  by  following  his  advice.  But  he  came 
away  with  a  graver  face  after  each  interview,  filled 
with  wonder  that  a  child  of  his  could  harbor  such 
sentiments,  which,  if  put  in  practice,  must,  in  his 
opinion,  induce  chaos  ;  and  once,  when,  in  response 
to  his  warning  that  such  a  course,  if  persevered  in, 
would  irremediably  prejudice  against  her  a  certain 
nobleman  he  had  in  view  as  a  husband  for  her,  she 
declared  that  the  abolition  of  the  entire  peerage 
would  be  a  blessing  to  the  country,  he  had  been 
seized  with  dizziness,  an  incident  which  furnished 


5  FACE    TO   FACE. 

his  wife  a  pretext  for  the  familiar  but  cutting  proph 
ecy  that  Evelyn  would  bring  down  her  father's  gray 
hairs  in  sorrow  to  the  grave. 

During  Evelyn's  last  two  or  three  visits  home,  it 
had  been  observed  that  she  was  grown  more  digni 
fied  as  well  as  more  beautiful.  A  seriousness  of 
deportment  that  was  rather  awe-inspiring  at  times 
had  replaced  the  hobble-de-hoy  immaturity  of  the 
school-girl.  Her  tables  were  littered  with  books, 
the  very  titles  of  which  were  unintelligible  to  the 
rest  of  the  family,  over  which  she  pored  with  assid 
uity  to  the  deep  distress  of  either  parent,  who 
scented  anti-Christ  between  the  lines.  But  her 
spirits  were  fresh  and  buoyant  as  ever,  and  her 
fondness  for  vigorous  recreation  had  not  abated  a 
jot.  She  could  without  difficulty  beat  the  curate 
at  lawn-tennis,  then  a  new-found  pastime,  and  her 
stroke  on  the  river  was  the  admiration  of  watermen. 
To  look  at,  she  was  tall  and  commanding,  with  a 
broad  brow,  a  sweet  mouth,  and  eyes  which,  fit  either 
for  love  or  for  lightning,  sparkled  with  an  intelli 
gence  that  was  half  playful  and  half  tender. 

One  day  her  father  had  the  mortification  of  read 
ing  in  the  daily  newspaper,  side  by  side  with  the 
detailsof  murders  and  defalcations  and  shop-keepers' 
advertisements,  her  name — his  daughter's  name — as 
the  winner  of  a  prize  for  a  dissertation  on  "  Evolu 
tion,"  which  she  had  apparently  delivered,  before  a 
host  of  people,  from  the  rostrum  of  the  dreadful 
college  of  which  she  was  a  member.  As  if  this  were 
not  humiliating  enough,  short-haired  women  whc? 


I- ACE    TO   FACE.  J 

left  visiting  cards  without  a  prefix  to  distinguish 
maid  from  matron,  began  to  come  down  from  Lon 
don  to  call  upon  her. 

This  was  just  at  the  date  of  Evelyn's  graduation. 
She  had  been  at  home  for  about  a  week  on  the  day 
we  have  discovered  her  enjoying  a  matutinal  row. 
The  freshness  of  the  beautiful  summer  morning, 
and  the  verdure  just  in  its  prime,  had  a  soothing 
effect  on  her  nerves,  jaded  with  the  severe  study  of 
examination  time,  and  the  wear  and  tear  of  being  on 
unsympathetic  terms  with  her  family.  For,  firm  as 
she  was  in  her  ideas,  the  partial  estrangement  had 
necessarily  cost  her  many  a  sleepless  night  and 
given  to  her  reflections  an  almost  morbid  tinge. 
And  what  made  the  situation  all  the  more  dis 
couraging  was  that  her  highly  creditable  scholar 
ship  had  rather  widened  the  gulf  than  otherwise, 
and  no  alternative  seemed  to  be  left  between  for 
saking  her  principles  and  being  ostracized  by  her 
relatives. 

The  whole  family  happened  for  the  moment  to 
be  under  one  roof.  It  was  natural  that  the  Hon 
orable  Mortimer  should  seek  to  bring  this  to  pass 
as  often  as  possible,  for  one  might  have  ransacked 
England  in  vain  for  a  finer  looking  set  of  children, 
and  grandchildren  to  boot.  They  were  a  little 
stolid  in  feature,  perhaps,  but  that  implied  strong 
wills  and  a  proper  self-respect.  For  the  rest,  they, 
were  very  elegant  and  fastidious,  with  sufficient 
languor  not  to  be  suspected  of  becoming  unduly 
enthusiastic  over  anything,  saving  always,  in  the 


FACE   TO,  FACE. 

order  named,  their  babies,  their  sovereign,  and  their 
hereditary  principles  of  church  and  state.  There 
was  Gwendolen  Edith,  wife  of  Sir  Edgar  Bradish, 
K.C.B.,  with  six  little  Bradishes — just  one  a  year  ; 
Gladys,  Countess  of  Harleth,  with  an  embryo  earl 
in  leading-strings  ;  Emily,  Mrs.  Caithness  Corrie, 
whose  husband  was  an  M.  P.  and  never  in  need  of 
the  party  whip  to  make  him  toe  the  mark  in  de 
fence  of  the  rights  of  the  noble  class  to  which  he 
confidently  expected  to  belong  some  day  ;  Florence 
Henrietta  and  Muriel  Grace,  in  the  full  flush  of 
social  success  ;  and  Margaret  Frances,  shortly  to 
become  the  wife  of  the  brewer's  son,  Mr.  Sparks, 
just  before  whom  in  seniority  stood  the  sole  son 
and  heir,  Mortimer  Lawrence  Ponsonby. 

The  countess  had  arrived  only  on  the  previous 
evening,  and  brought  with  her  such  a  flavor  of  the 
Court  that  Evelyn  felt  herself  more  than  commonly 
out  in  the  cold.  But  the  fine  exercise  sufficed,  as 
has  been  said,  to  raise  her  spirits,  and  she  sped  down 
stream  without  further  effort  to  solve  the  knotty 
problem  of  her  own  future,  which  had  been  her  con 
stant  companion,  both  waking  and  sleeping,  since 
her  return  home.  So  cheery,  in  fact,  became  her 
mood  that  she  lost  account  of  time  and  did  not  get 
back  to  the  house  until  all  the  family  had  break 
fasted  save  the  Countess  Gladys,  simultaneously 
with  whom  she  made  her  appearance  at  table. 

So  handsome  did  Evelyn  look,  with  the  glow  of 
exercise  suffusing  her  cheeks,  that  her  ladyship 
could  not  repress  a  glance  of  admiration.  She  had 


FACE   TO  FACE.  9 

left  home  while  Evelyn  was  still  a  child,  and  knew  of 
her  sister's  eccentricities  chiefly  from  second-hand 
sources.  She  was  an  amiable,  sweet-tempered 
woman  in  her  way,  with  a  fondness  for  having 
beautiful  objects  about  her,  and  while  she  sipped 
her  coffee  the  idea  of  inviting  Evelyn  to  come  to  her 
for  the  next  season  struck  her  favorably.  She  felt 
little  doubt  that  Evelyn's  peculiarities  would  speed 
ily  disappear  in  the  whirl  of  the  metropolis,  and 
coupled  with  this  disinterested  reflection  was  the 
consciousness  that  her  beauty  would  be  apt  to  cause 
a  sensation  in  fashionable  circles.  It  did  not  occur 
to  her  as  possible  that  Evelyn  would  refuse  such  an 
invitation,  one  which,  by  the  way,  she  had  never 
extended  in  so  unreserved  a  fashion  to  any  of  the 
others ;  and  her  blue  eyes  opened  in  astonishment 
akin  to  exasperation  at  the  response  she  received, 
which  was  to  the  effect  that  Evelyn  was  very  much 
obliged  to  her,  but  had  no  wish  to  go  into  London 
society. 

"  But,  Evelyn,"  murmured  the  Lady  Gladys,  feel 
ing  the  duty  of  showing  her  sister  how  wrong- 
headed  she  was  added  to  her  other  motives  (and 
where  a  question  of  duty  was  concerned  a  Pimlico 
never  faltered),  "  how  can  you  talk  so  !  You  sure 
ly  don't  want  to  live  cooped  up  here  all  your  days  ? 
It  is  time,  high  time — you  are  twenty,  I  believe — for 
you  to  see  something  of  the  world.  You  are  a  wom 
an  now,  and  ideas  which  were  all  very  well  when 
you  were  younger  are  out  of  place.  If  you  would 
reflect  vou  would  see  that  I'm  eiving  you  an  oo- 


IO  FACE    TO   FACE. 

portunity  to  make  a  fresh  start  and  please  papa ; 
for,  without  wishing  to  be  unkind,  you  must  be 
aware  that  papa  is  very  unhappy  on  your  account. 
If,  now,  you  were  to  go  to  London  and  make  a  brill 
iant  match,  we  should  all  be  united  again.  Why 
shouldn't  you  do  as  well  as  I  did  ?  If  anything,  you 
are  prettier  than  I  was  at  your  age." 

In  appealing  to  Evelyn's  common-sense,  and  speak 
ing  thus  firmly  but  without  severity,  the  Countess 
of  Harleth  flattered  herself  that  she  was  displaying 
tact.  She  had  long  had  an  impression  that  it  would 
merely  be  necessary  to  point  out  to  Evelyn  the  error 
of  her  ways  in  a  dispassionate  manner  in  order  to  con 
vince  her  of  her  folly,  instead  of  getting  angry  with 
her  as  she  suspected  the  others  of  doing.  But  she 
experienced  an  annoyed  and  half-uneasy  feeling  at 
observing  the  derisive  smile  with  which  her  words 
were  listened  to.  Yet  the  reply  was  gracious  enough : 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  Gladys — more 
than  I  seem,  perhaps — and  you  must  not  think  me 
ungrateful  because  I  do  not  accept  your  offer,  but 
I  am  sure  I  shouldn't  enjoy  the  sort  of  life  you 
would  wish  me  to  lead  in  London.  As  you  say,  I 
have  not  seen  much  of  the  world,  but  I  am  not  en 
tirely  without  knowledge  of  what  would  be  expected 
of  me.  Our  tastes  happen  to  be  dissimilar,  that's  all. 
Thank  you  kindly,  but  I  would  rather  remain  quietly 
at  home  for  the  present." 

"  I  don't  understand  what  you  mean.  It  is  a 
great  misfortune  to  a  girl  to  get  the  reputation  of 
being  odd." 


FACE    TO  FACE.  II 

"  I  am  pretty  well  used  to  that  already." 

The  countess  was  resolved  not  to  lose  her  temper. 
She  believed  that  Evelyn's  contrariness  was  ac 
counted  for  by  being  a  little  bitter  at  the  censure  of 
the  rest  of  the  family.  For  her  own  part  she  felt 
guiltless  in  this  respect,  as  she  forthwith  explained. 

"  You  must  not  forget  that  I  am  your  sister,  Eve 
lyn,  and  that  whatever  others  may  have  said  to 
wound  your  feelings,  I  have  had  no  share  in  it.  The 
past  is  the  past  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  and  you 
may  rest  assured  that  I  shall  never  taunt  you  with 
having  been  different  from  the  rest  of  us." 

For  an  instant  the  same  amused  expression  stole 
over  Evelyn's  face,  then  her  eyes  filled  with  tears 
and  she  answered  : 

"  I  know  you  mean  to  be  kind,  Gladys  dear,  and 
I  wish  I  were  not  different  from  you  all.  But  I  am 
made  so,  and  I  don't  think  you  would  understand 
me  if  I  were  to  try  to  explain  why  I  had  rather  not 
accept  your  invitation.  Ask  Florence  or  Muriel  in 
stead.  Either  one  of  them  would  be  delighted  at 
the  very  idea  of  such  a  thing." 

"  It  is  you  I  want,"  answered  Lady  Gladys,  with 
Pimlico  firmness.  "The  other  girls  are  doing  very 
well  as  it  is,  and  can  go  out  with  mamma.  I  really 
wonder  at  you,  Evelyn,  that  you  do  not  appreciate 
the  advantages  of  my  offer.  You  seem  to  forget 
that  my  husband  is  an  earl,  and  occupies  a  social 
position  that  would  bring  you  into  association  with 
your  sovereign  and  the  princes  of  the  blood.  There 
is  no  telling  but  that  the  queen  might  take  a  fancy 


12  FACE    TO  FACE. 

to  you  and  appoint  you  about  her  person.  Only 
think  what  an  honor  that  would  be  !  " 

"  Do  you  think  so,  Gladys  ?  Now,  to  my  mind, 
it  would  be  a  dreadful  bore." 

"Why,  Evelyn,  I'm  surprised  at  you.  I  wonder 
you  are  not  afraid  to  say  such  a  thing.  If  anyone 
were  to  overhear  you  and  repeat  it,  you  might  get 
us  into  serious  trouble." 

"  You  needn't  be  alarmed,"  laughed  Evelyn  ;  "  I 
have  no  desire  to  compromise  the  family  more  than 
is  necessary.  But  the  whole  difficulty,  Gladys,  lies 
in  the  fact  that  you  and  the  other  girls  like  to  run 
after  lords  and  titles,  and  I  don't  care  a  button 
about  them.  I'd  just  as  soon  talk  to  a  respectable 
commoner  as  a  peer  of  the  realm  at  any  time  ;  in 
fact,  rather,  nine  times  out  of  ten.  So  you  see  it 
would  only  be  a  waste  of  opportunities  to  take  me 
to  court." 

Her  sister  gave  a  gasp.  She  was  fast  losing  pa 
tience  at  this  uncalled-for  attack  on  rank  and  pre 
rogative. 

"  The  next  thing  we  shall  hear  is  that  you  are  on 
the  stage.  You  are  very  young  and  foolish,  Evelyn. 
As  I  have  already  told  you,  I  have  every  disposi 
tion  to  be  your  friend,  but  I  cannot  listen  to  such 
sentiments  without  indignation.  If  you  prefer  the 
society  of  vulgar  people  to  that  of  dukes  and  cabi 
net  ministers,  all  I  can  say  is,  there  is  no  account 
ing  for  tastes." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you.  But  there  is  no  use  in 
our  disputing,  Gladys,  for  we  should  never  take  the 


FACE    TO  FACE.  13 

same  view.  I  only  hope  for  your  sake,"  Evelyn 
added,  indicating  the  embryo  earl  who  was  pulling 
at  his  mother's  wrapper,  "  that  the  peerage  will  not 
be  extinct  before  little  Ponsonby  gets  his  title." 

This  was  the  last  straw.  The  countess,  with  flam 
ing  cheeks,  snatched  up  the  child  as  though  fearful  of 
infection,  and,  in  a  voice  trembling  with  anger,  cried  : 

"  You  wicked  girl,  how  dare  you  hint  at  such  a 
thing  ?" 

Evelyn's  speech  was  unfortunate,  certainly,  and 
one  which  she  would  never  have  made,  could  she 
have  foreseen  the  effect  it  would  have  upon  her 
sister,  who,  darting  glances  of  reproach,  swept  out  of 
the  room  in  the  direction  of  the  library,  where  the 
Honorable  Mortimer  was  engrossed  in  the  morning 
papers.  Accordingly  the  culprit  was  hardly  pre 
pared  for  the  complacent  expression  on  her  father's 
face  when  the  family  came  together  at  dinner  time. 
But  the  cause  was  soon  made  apparent.  A  Tory 
administration  had  added  to  the  royal  titles  that  of 
Empress  of  India,  a  fact  which  he  proceeded  to  an 
nounce  with  an  unction  that  found  response  in  the 
murmur  of  gratification  that  ran  around  the  table. 

"  Quite  the  most  important  measure  of  the  ses 
sion,"  he  added,  magnificently  ;  "one  which  cannot 
fail  to  add  greatly  to  our  prestige  as  a  nation.  A 
marvellously  clever  fellow,  that  Dizzy  !" 

Then  his  glance  chanced  to  fall  on  Evelyn,  and 
his  brow  darkened  ominously,  for  she  was  sitting 
with  her  eyes  fixed  on  her  plate,  taking  no  share  in 
the  general  applause. 


14  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"Well,  Evelyn,  have  you  nothing  to  say  in  appro 
bation  of  the  great  honor  your  queen  has  done  us 
all  by  assuming  the  title  of  Empress  of  India  ?  " 

"  I,  papa  ?  " 

"Yes,  you,  Evelyn.  I  should  think  that  anyone 
with  the  smallest  particle  of  loyal  feeling  would  wish 
to  celebrate  such  an  event.  It  wounds  me  to  the 
quick  to  see  a  child  of  mine  sit  glum  and  uncon 
cerned  when  all  the  rest  of  the  empire  are  rejoicing. 
Can  it  be  possible  you  do  not  sympathize  with  us  in 
our  satisfaction  ?" 

"  If  you  ask  my  opinion,  papa,  I  must  say  I  think 
it  sounds  rather  ridiculous  to  give  the  queen  a  new 
title  at  this  time  of  her  life,  without  any  apparent 
reason  for  it." 

"  Indeed  !  "  Mr.  Pimlico  crumbled  his  bread  to 
control  his  wrath.  "  I  cannot  say  I  am  surprised  at 
such  Agrarian  sentiments,  young  lady.  They  are 
quite  of  a  piece  with  the  radical  and  insulting  re 
marks  which  you  have  been  reported  to  me  as  mak 
ing  this  morning.  If  you  will  believe  it,  my  dear," 
he  continued,  addressing  his  wife,  "  even  our  sweet 
little  Ponsonby  is  not  safe  from  the  mad  vagaries  of 
our  undutiful  child.  Because  Gladys,  out  of  kind 
ness  of  heart,  invited  Evelyn  to  pass  the  season  with 
her,  Evelyn  saw  fit  to  predict  that  our  grandson 
would  never  be  a  peer.  And  now  this  insult  to  her 
sovereign  caps  the  climax.  I  am  fairly  worn  out  with 
her  unnatural  conduct.  One  would  suppose  that  she 
had  passed  her  days  in  the  United  States,  among  law 
less  and  ignorant  people,  instead  of  under  this  roof." 


FACE    TO  FACE.  1 5 

The  Honorable  Mortimer  spoke  with  unusual 
vehemence,  and  a  dreadful  pause  followed  what 
seemed  to  the  other  sisters  almost  an  anathema. 
But,  spite  of  tender  hearts,  they  felt  their  father's 
words  to  be  just,  and  that  the  insinuation  regarding 
little  Ponsonby  deserved  a  most  strenuous  rebuke. 
As  for  Evelyn,  she  sat.  hardened  as  ever,  to  all  ap 
pearances,  which  diverted  from  her  any  sympathy 
that  might  have  been  accumulating. 

Although  Mrs.  Pimlico's  feelings  were  no  less 
outraged  than  those  of  the  rest  of  the  family,  being 
a  cautious  woman,  she  deemed  it  unfortunate  that 
such  an  explosion  should  have  occurred  within  ear 
shot  of  the  servants.  With  feminine  tact  she  sought, 
therefore,  to  change  the  subject,  and,  taking  advan 
tage  of  the  allusion  to  the  United  States,  she  an 
nounced  the  receipt  that  morning  of  a  letter  from 
Willoughby  Pimlico,  a  first-cousin  of  her  husband, 
who  some  years  previous  had  married  an  American 
heiress  and  taken  up  his  residence  in  New  York. 

"  And  what  has  Willoughby  to  say  for  himself  ?  " 
inquired  the  Honorable  Mortimer,  less  savagely 
than  might  have  been  expected.  He  was  not  an 
unamiablc  man,  and  having  uttered  his  protest  in 
forcible  language,  was  ready  to  smile  again  as  soon 
as  dignity  would  permit. 

'  He  is  very  anxious  to  have  one  of  our  girls  pay 
him  a  visit,"  answered  Mrs.  Pimlico,  with  a  simper 
ing  laugh  that  implied  the  extreme  improbability  of 
such  a  thing. 

"  I  dare  say.     Fancy,  my  love,  one  of  your  daugh- 


1 6  FACE    TO  FACE. 

ters  riding  a  buffalo,  as  is  not  an  uncommon  prac- 
tice  with  young  persons  of  your  sex  in  the  less 
civilized  portions  of  that  country,  I  am  given  to 
understand.  Humph  ! "  he  added,  reflectively  ;  "  has 
Willoughby's  wife  any  brothers  of  an — eh — eligible 
age  ?  I  believe  some  of  those  Americans  make  very 
fair  husbands  when  they  are  tamed." 

"  Oh,  but  the  savages,  papa  ! "  exclaimed  Florence 
Henrietta. 

"  Yes,  and  the  Mormons,  papa  ? "  cried  Muriel 
Grace. 

"  I  have  been  told  on  good  authority,  sir,"  broke 
in  the  son  and  heir,  fingering  as  he  spoke  an  in 
cipient  mustache,  "  that  everybody  over  there  is  in 
trade." 

"  How  dreadful !  "  sighed  Mrs.  Caithness  Corrie. 

"  I  fancy,"  answered  the  father,  "  that  most  of  the 
reports  we  hear  have  been  somewhat  exaggerated. 
They  are  undoubtedly  an  ignorant  and  vulgar  people, 
lax  both  in  their  personal  habits  and  marriage  laws  ; 
but  I  judge  that  in  the  so-called  sea-board  cities  one 
rarely  comes  into  contact  with  either  the  red-man 
or  the  bigamist.  The  latest  books,  however,  men 
tion  the  almost  universal  carrying  of  firearms  as  a 
protection  against  the  cow-boy,  a  kind  of  satyr  of 
the  plains  ;  and  the  flavor  of  the  forest  is  still  ob 
servable  in  much  of  their  nomenclature — an  instance 
of  which,  in  my  own  branch  of  business,  comes  to 
my  mind  in  the  use  of  the  word  'wild-cat'  to  de 
scribe  securities  that  are  not  sound.  As  you  have 
well  observed,  Mortimer,  they  are  universally  en- 


FACE    TO   FACE.  1J 

gaged  in  trade,  but  such  is  the  rapidity  with  which 
fortunes  are  acquired — owing  partly  to  the  natural 
resources  of  the  country  and  partly  to  the  low 
standard  of  commercial  integrity — that  a  class  called 
merchant  princes  has  come  into  existence,  whose 
manner  of  living  is  said  to  rival  the  extreme  luxury 
of  the  East.  Cities  are  built  in  a  night  by  the  in 
dustry  of  the  negro,  who  is,  however,  fast  giving 
place  to  the  Chinaman,  whose  physical  conformation 
enables  him  to  labor  on  a  quantity  of  food  utterly 
insufficient  to  support  civilized  human  life.  But 
notwithstanding  these  peculiarities,  there  are  in 
Boston  and  in  parts  of  New  York,  where  my  cousin 
lives,  people  whose  habits  are  not  dissimilar  to  our 
own,  and  who  have  a  fair  degree  of  culture,  I  am 
told  by  those  who  have  stopped  there. 

"They,  however,  are  very  unpopular  with  the 
masses,  who  exclude  them  from  public  office  and 
are  threatening  to  pass  laws  of  a  still  more  Agrarian 
character  than  already  exist.  It  has  long  been  a 
source  of  surprise  to  me  that  a  finished  gentleman 
like  Willoughby  Pimlico  has  escaped  assassination. 
He  can  scarcely  have  become  popular,  except  at  the 
cost  of  much  personal  dignity  and  self-respect." 

"  What  a  terrible  place  to  live  in  !  "  exclaimed  his 
wife,  as  he  finished  this  peroration.  "I  wonder 
that  Willoughby  supposed  we  would  allow  one  of 
our  girls  to  risk  her  life." 

"  Hardly  so  bad  as  that,  I  fancy.  I  have  always 
understood  that  they  treat  their  women  vvvth  more 
consideration  than  most  foreigners  do,"  said  Mr. 

2 


1 8  FACE    TO   FACE. 

Pimlico,  who,  having  defined  his  views  regarding 
the  people  of  the  United  States,  could  not  help  re 
flecting  that,  from  all  accounts,  there  must  be  young 
men  of  large  means  among  them  who  would  doubt 
less  be  glad  to  come  over  and  settle  in  England  for 
the  sake  of  the  social  position  he  would  be  able  to 
give  them.  He  believed  himself  to  be  a  progressive 
person,  and  it  had  always  been  one  of  his  theories 
that,  some  day  or  other,  the  United  States  would  de 
velop  into  a  great  nation.  Already  their  stocks 
were  coming  into  notice,  as  short  cuts  to  fortune, 
not  desirable  for  the  notice  of  the  general  public, 
but  opportunities  that  a  wide-awake  banker  might 
improve.  He  had  himself  made  a  few  ventures  in 
that  line  with  success.  Moreover,  Willoughby  was 
accustomed  to  write  as  if  there  were  society  of  a  cer 
tain  sort  which  he  frequented,  the  members  of  which 
paid  their  way  in  five-dollar  gold  pieces  without  ask- 
i"g  for  change,  and  in  which  the  women  were  at 
tired  with  a  gorgeousness  equal  to  traditional  con 
ceptions  of  Cleopatra.  He  was  conscious  that  if  he 
could  knock  off  twenty  years,  he  should  be  tempted 
to  investigate  for  himself. 

To  tell  the  truth,  The  Honorable  Mortimer  was 
rather  impatient  to  have  his  daughters  married.  De 
spite  his  fortunate  American  speculations,  he  had 
been  hit  pretty  hard  lately  by  a  number  of  domestic 
failures,  which,  coming  after  the  drain  on  his  purse 
requisite  to  set  up  his  three  eldest  daughters  and  to 
see  his  son  through  the  University,  had  left  him  feel 
ing  far  from  well  off.  The  demands  of  his  family 


FACE   TO  FACE.  ig 

were,  however,  as  imperative  as  ever.  In  order  to 
give  Florence  and  Muriel  an  opportunity  to  be  seen, 
a  house  had  to  be  taken  in  town  for  the  season,  and 
extensive  orders  given  to  the  most  expensive  dress 
makers.  And  now  there  was  Evelyn  to  provide  for. 

He  frowned  as  he  thought  of  her,  for  he  had  been 
sorely  vexed  by  her  refusal  of  her  sister's  offer.  The 
dinner  was  finished  and  he  was  puffing  at  his  cigar 
with  an  air  of  cogitation.  He  reflected  that  it  would 
hardly  be  fair  to  the  other  girls,  with  their  delicate 
tastes  and  ideas,  to  let  either  of  them  go  to  America  ; 
but  it  might  be  the  very  thing  Evelyn  needed  to 
counteract  the  vicious  opinions  which  had  taken  pos 
session  of  her.  If  she  believed  in  radicalism,  let 
her  see  it  in  the  country  of  its  luxuriance,  and  learn 
from  personal  experience  what  a  monster  she  was 
cherishing.  And,  if  in  the  course  of  coming  to  he* 
senses  some  desirable  young  fellow  should  be  capti 
vated  by  her  beauty  and  breeding,  he  was  not  pre 
pared  to  say  that  he  would  refuse  to  receive  such  a 
son-in-law. 

The  more  he  thought  over  the  scheme,  the  more 
it  pleased  him,  and  when  he  mentioned  it  to  his  wife, 
although  shocked  at  first,  she  came  round  to  his 
view  in  the  end.  The  next  thing  was  to  consult 
Evelyn, 


II. 

IF  Mr.  Pimlico  had  realized  that  an  ardent  par 
tiality  for  America  and  everything  American  was 
at  the  root  of  all  his  youngest  daughter's  short 
comings,  he  would  never  have  reached  this  conclu 
sion.  No  wonder  she  accepted  eagerly  his  proposal 
that  she  should  pay  her  cousin  a  visit,  when  for  the 
last  six  years  her  dearest  ambition  had  been  to  look, 
think,  and  act  as  an  American  girl  would  look,  think, 
and  act. 

Several  summers  before,  while  travelling  with  her 
parents  in  Switzerland — in  a  rebellious  frame  of  mind 
at  sundry  formalities  which  they  obliged  her  to  re 
gard — she  had  met  a  gay  party  from  across  the  ocean 
whose  lack  of  conventionality  seemed  to  her  amply 
justified  by  an  apparent  originality  and  independ 
ence  of  soul  which  lifted  them  above  the  narrovr 
prejudices  of  European  life,  much  as  the  Alpine 
peak  soars  beyond  the  limitations  of  the  valley. 
This  had  been  her  individual  reflection,  though  it 
was  the  result  rather  of  observation  from  aloof  than 
personal  contact,  for  both  her  father  and  her  mother 
had  frowned  unmistakably  on  the  disposition  the 
strangers  manifested  to  strike  up  an  acquaintance. 
So,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  commonplace  re 


FACE    TO  FACE.  21 

marks  apropos  of  passing  the  butter  or  the  salt,  Evelyn 
had  been  unable  to  gratify  her  wish  to  become  fam 
iliar  ;  but  she  had  watched  them  with  a  furtive  and 
constantly  increasing  admiration,  dreamed  about 
them  at  night  ;  and,  when  her  father  diverged  from 
his  carefully  planned  route  in  order  to  be  rid  of 
them,  constructed  a  theory  regarding  their  charac 
ters  which  had  supplied  her  with  an  incentive  ever 
since. 

She  had  been  at  the  time  of  just  the  age  when  a 
strong  impression  is  apt  to  stretch  its  roots  far  down 
and  influence  character.  An  incident  supplies  the 
nucleus  and  imagination  does  the  rest.  Dating  from 
that  summer,  a  decided  change  came  over  Evelyn, 
noticeable  in  various  ways,  but  chiefly  in  outcrop- 
pings  against  the  established  order  of  things  highly 
distasteful  to  her  own  flesh  and  blood,  who  little  sus 
pected  their  impetus  ascribable  to  the  great  raw  Re 
public  founded  on  disobedience.  It  became  a  gen 
uine  cult  with  her  to  glean  all  the  information  pos 
sible  concerning  the  United  States,  and  in  the  course 
of  her  investigations  she  was  still  able  to  detect,  in 
the  marvellous  diatribes  of  her  own  countrymen  who 
had  travelled  there  and  the  equally  perplexing  pages 
of  transatlantic  fiction,  a  distinct  flavor  of  the  spirit 
she  worshipped.  Her  fancy  claimed  sympathy  with 
the  pioneers  of  the  boundless  prairies,  who,  even  as 
they  ploughed,  carried  on  with  the  maidens  of  their 
choice  a  dialogue  whose  goal  was  the  secret  of  the 
spheres. 

But  she  had  not  been  content  with  dreaming.   The 


22  FACE   7*O  FACE. 

key-note  of  her  conception  was  unremitting  zeal  in 
the  investigation  after  truth.  Presently  she  was 
quick  to  perceive  that,  outside  the  circle  of  her  social 
surroundings,  there  were  ample  facilities  afforded  by 
the  libraries,  lecture-rooms,  and  colleges  of  her  own 
land  for  the  detection  of  error.  She  plunged  into 
the  sea  of  modern  thought  with  all  the  zeal  of  a 
proselyte.  Darwin  and  Huxley  and  Ruskin  and 
Spencer  and  Browning  and  George  Eliot  appeased 
her  thirst,  and  yet  left  her  yearning  for  more.  Her 
college  life  had  been  one  vast,  absorbing  revelation, 
and  at  this  moment  of  her  graduation  she  had  come 
to  the  surface,  as  it  were,  fora  breathing  spell  before 
renewing  her  investigations.  But  still  her  glance 
stole  over  the  real  waters  toward  the  land  where  she 
believed  there  were  no  kings,  nor  fetters  upon  con 
science,  no  superstitions,  nor  shams,  nor  gilded  lies  ; 
where  the  rich  accumulated  for  the  eradication  of 
suffering,  and  the  poor  persevered  for  the  perma 
nence  of  order  and  the  dignity  of  the  race. 

Her  impressions  regarding  the  land  of  her  desire 
were  almost  entirely  subjective.  Of  its  physical 
properties,  of  its  bricks  and  mortar  or  its  dollars  and 
cents,  she  knew  comparatively  little,  assuming  per 
haps,  in  philosophic  fashion,  that  where  the  national 
life  is  sound  all  else  must  conform.  She  had  con 
ceived  in  a  vague  way  that  America  was  a  vast  do 
main  with  room  enough  for  everybody,  gladly  shared 
by  the  masters  of  a  higher  civilization  with  buffaloes, 
Indians,  and  the  other  engaging  types  of  untram 
melled  existence.  To  the  tales'  of  its  huge  cities, 


FACE    TO   FACE.  2$ 

abundant  harvests,  and  inexhaustible  wealth  she  had 
listened  with  the  heedless  ear  of  one  who  values  the 
material  but  little  as  compared  with  the  spiritual. 
Hence  it  was  that  her  father's  description  of  the 
United  States  at  the  dinner-table  had  seemed  to  her 
inaccurate,  because  of  the  deductions  he  drew  rather 
than  from  any  misstatement  of  facts.  Ideas  and 
principles  which  he  regarded  as  dangerous  and  dis 
reputable  were  to  her  among  the  noblest  springs  oi 
action.  So  she  reasoned,  and  his  stricture  failed  to 
disturb  her  in  the  least  degree. 

But  a  reference  to  the  Elysian  Fields  of  her  fancy 
was  sufficient  at  any  time  to  set  her  rhapsodizing, 
and  as  she  went  down  to  the  water's  edge  after  din 
ner  to  watch  the  evening  light  creep  over  the  river, 
she  felt  that  she  would  sacrifice  a  great  deal  to  be 
allowed  to  accept  her  relative's  invitation.  She 
well  knew  that  it  was  out  of  the  question.  From 
what  had  been  said  it  was  plain  that  the  chances  of 
any  of  them  going  were  very  small,  and  she  felt  that 
she  was  the  least  likely  to  be  selected  of  all  the  girls. 
Still,  even  against  conviction,  she  could  not  help 
imagining  herself  on  shipboard,  and  trying  to  form, 
with  more  ardor  and  vividness  than  ever,  out  of  the 
resources  of  her  imagination,  a  conception  of  the 
so-called  land  of  liberty.  Mingled  with  the  serious 
visions  of  enfranchised  humanity,  her  woman's  nnt- 
ure  entertained  doubtless  the  shy,  sweet,  personal 
hope  of  an  ideal  relation  bringing  the  souls  of  youth 
and  maiden  into  an  accord  unintelligible  to  the 
grosser  civilization  of  the  old  world. 


24  FACE    TO   FACE. 

Happy  in  her  dreaming  she  sat  until  the  twilight 
deepened  into  obscurity.  At  length,  with  a  shake 
of  her  head  as  though  to  banish  the  cobwebs  from 
her  brain  and  fit  it  for  reality,  she  arose  and  went 
up  the  lawn  to  the  house.  Her  father  was  in  the 
porch,  still  more  content  with  his  project,  over  an 
other  cigar.  She  listened  to  his  proposal  half  dazed 
and  mistrusting  what  she  heard.  His  homily  on  the 
revolution  which  he  expected  the  experience  to 
work  in  her  ideas  gave  her  time  to  collect  her 
thoughts.  A  few  minutes  later  all  was  settled. 
She  was  to  go  in  a  fortnight,  under  the  care  of  Mr. 
Brock,  an  elderly  friend  of  their  cousin's,  whom 
Willoughby  Pimlico's  letter  had  mentioned  as  in 
tending  to  sail  at  that  date.  At  last  she  was  to 
realize  the  dream  of  her  life. 

On  the  appointed  day  Evelyn  went  up  to  Londo* 
with  her  father,  to  meet  her  escort,  who  was  so  little 
unlike  other  people  both  in  his  behavior  and  dress, 
that  Mr.  Pimlico  expressed  surprise  on  three  differ 
ent  occasions  at  his  speaking  English  so  perfectly, 
imagining  that  he  was  thereby  paying  him  a  grace 
ful  compliment.  But  he  listened  less  cordially  to 
the  account  which  Mr.  Brock  gave  them,  under  the 
pleasant  influence  of  "  a  glass  of  wine,"  as  he  called 
a  bottle  of  champagne,  of  his  rise  in  life  from  a  penni 
less  country  lad  until  he  had  become  the  founder  of 
some  of  the  largest  manufacturing  interests  in  the 
country,  and  the  possessor  of  several  million  dollars 
To  Mr.  Pimlico  this  frankness  seemed  ill-bred  osten 
tation,  to  say  nothing  of  the  doubt  inspired  in  his 


FACE    TO   FACE.  2$ 

mind  as  to  the  truth  of  the  other's  statements,  by 
the  information  which  he  had  frequently  received  to 
the  effect  that  the  Americans  were  prone  to  tell  "  tall 
stories."  But  in  proportion  as  her  father's  manner 
grew  frigid,  Evelyn's  delight  increased.  She  had 
been,  perhaps,  a  trifle  disappointed  at  first  sight  that 
Mr.  Brock  was  not  more  unconventional.  As  she 
listened,  however,  to  his  graphic  account  of  his  own 
fortunes,  interspersed  with  quaintly  shrewd  obser 
vations  on  men  and  things,  she  felt  that  she  had  mis 
interpreted  him.  The  Honorable  Mortimer  bade 
them  good-by  at  St.  Pancras,  and  went  home  shak 
ing  his  head  over  the  fellowship  already  established 
between  his  daughter  and  this  sometime  street  Arab, 
as  he  was  inclined  to  stigmatize  her  companion. 

Seated  in  the  train  and  whirling  toward  Liverpool 
Evelyn  felt  her  travels  fairly  begun.  Her  spirits 
were  at  full  height,  and  she  spoke  concerning  the 
pleasure  she  expected  to  derive  from  her  visit  to 
America  with  an  enthusiasm  that  charmed  the  old 
gentleman,  inclined  to  believe,  it  may  be,  that  Eng 
lish  girls  ordinarily  were  stiff.  Encouraged  by  her 
cheeriness  he  chatted  on  in  easy  fashion,  telling  her 
how  much  better  most  things  were  managed  where 
they  were  going  to,  and  discoursing  on  the  great 
ness  of  his  country's  institutions,  illustrated  with 
anecdotes  taken  from  his  own  personal  experience. 
Presently  he  took  out  of  his  pocket  a  russia  leather 
case,  and  showed  Evelyn  the  photograph  of  a  girl  of 
about  her  age,  and  of  rare  beauty.  His  eyes  filled 
with  tears  as  he  explained  that  she  was  his  niece, 


26  FACE    7'O  FACE. 

the  last  remaining  member  of  his  family,  who  had 
died  nearly  two  years  before,  and  that  he  was  quite 
alone  in  the  world. 

On  arriving  they  went  up  to  the  Adelphi  to  lunch, 
and  there  Mr.  Brock  found  a  telegram  obliging  his 
immediate  return  to  London  in  consequence  of  the 
decision  of  certain  capitalists  to  accept  terms  which 
he  had  offered  them  for  the  purchase  of  an  Amer 
ican  railway.  There  was  no  escape  from  his  going 
back,  he  told  Evelyn,  and  it  was  very  possible  he 
might  be  detained  all  summer  in  England. 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  Evelyn's  first  impulse 
was  that  she  must  wait  for  another  escort.  It 
seemed  to  her  cruel.  Just  as  she  was  about  to  be 
perfectly  happy,  fate  had  conspired  against  her. 
She  inquired  of  Mr.  Brock  if  there  were  not  any 
people  on  board  whom  he  knew  who  would  take 
her  under  their  charge.  He  shook  his  head.  He 
said  that  he  had  looked  over  the  passenger-list,  and 
been  to  the  ship  in  person,  but  that  there  was  no 
one  of  his  acquaintance  among  them  all. 

Mr.  Brock  stood  with  his  watch  in  his  hand,  for 
there  was  no  time  to  be  lost  in  coming  to  a  decision, 
as  both  the  steamship  and  his  train  would  depart 
almost  immediately.  He  did  not  proffer  any  ad 
vice.  It  was  very  perplexing.  Evelyn  could  not 
bear  the  thought  of  returning  home,  for  she  rea 
soned  that  very  likely  her  father  would  change  his 
mind  .in  such  an  event,  and  withdraw  his  permis 
sion.  She  wondered  what  an  American  girl  would 
do,  under  similar  circumstances.  Sail  alone,  she 


FACE    TO   FACE.  2/ 

could  not  help  feeling.  And  why  .should  not  s/tef 
She  was  not  afraid.  She  felt  confident  of  being 
able  to  take  care  of  herself.  But  what  would  her 
family  think  ?  Would  they  not  be  scandalized  at 
such  a  proceeding  ?  They  certainly  would  ;  but, 
after  all,  was  there  any  real  harm  in  it  ? 

''  Come,  my  dear,  time's  up.  You  must  decide  on 
something  before  I  go  back,"  said  Mr.  Brock. 

'•  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  start  alone,"  said 
Evelyn. 

There  was  a  twinkle  in  Mr.  Brock's  eyes. 

"  What  will  Vic  say  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  don't  quite  understand,  sir." 

"  Eh  ?  I  mean  are  you  sure  the  Queen  won't  he 
down  on  me  for  letting  you  go  without  a  chaperon  ?  " 

"I've  thought  of  what  you  mean,  Mr.  Brock. 
Answer  me  one  question  please  ;  would  a  young 
lady  in  your  country  give  up  going  ? " 

"  Dear  heart,  no.  She'd  have  been  on  board  be 
fore  this,"  said  the  old  man. 

Mr.  Brock  seemed  quite  elated  at  what  he  termed 
the  pluckiness  of  her  decision,  and  lost  his  train  in 
order  that  he  might  see  her  comfortably  off.  She 
felt  excited  and  buoyant  ;  but  when  at  last  the 
tender  left  the  ship,  and  Mr.  Brock's  white  hair 
fluttering  in  the  breeze  was  no  longer  discernible,  a 
sense  of  loneliness  came  upon  her.  What  an  ordi 
nary-looking  set  the  passengers  were  !  The  glimpse 
she  had  taken  of  her  state-room  had  no1:  attracted 
her,  and  the  smell  of  the  machinery  was  oppressive. 
She  reflected,  however,  that  she  had  made  her 


28  FACE    TO  FACE. 

choice,  and  must  face  the  occasion  with  all  the  for 
titude  she  could  muster.  It  was  at  least  a  consola 
tion  to  feel  that  if  she  had  been  in  the  train  instead, 
her  emotions  would  have  been  a  hundred-fold  more 
despondent. 

As  she  leaned  against  the  railing  thus  commun 
ing  with  herself,  the  last  tender  from  shore  ap 
proached  the  vessel.  The  hour  was  late,  and  the 
captain  of  the  Britannic  was  inveighing  against 
the  tardiness  of  the  smaller  craft.  When  the  gang 
plank  was  put  in  place  only  some  half-a-dozen  in 
dividuals  came  on  board,  conspicuous  among  whom, 
to  the  eyes  of  Evelyn  at  least,  was  a  young  man, 
who  carried  a  hat-box  and  umbrella,  and  was  closely 
followed  by  a  couple  of  obsequious  porters  bearing 
the  rest  of  his  luggage.  He  was  quickly  lost  in  the 
interior  of  the  ship,  but  the  recollection  of  a  striped 
ulster,  yellow  dog-skin  gloves,  and  high  stiff  collar, 
remained  with  her  as  denoting  a  countryman  of  her 
own  in  the  same  class  of  life.  She  wondered  who 
he  was,  and  she  was  conscious — with  annoyance  at 
her  weakness — of  being  a  little  disturbed  at  the  idea 
of  encountering  anyone  she  knew  or  who  knew  her, 
for  up  to  this  point  she  had  seen  no  one  on  board 
to  cause  her  concern  of  this  sort.  It  might  be  that 
this  young  man  was  a  nobleman  or  some  one  who 
would  recognize  her  from  her  likeness  to  her  sis 
ters. 

Under  the  influence  of  this  feeling  she  went  down 
to  her  state-room  and  put  on  a  costume  such  as  she 
imagined  would  give  her  the  look  of  being  trans- 


FACE   TO  FACE.  2Q 

atiantic.  She  had  purchased  it  secretly  in  London, 
on  the  assurance  that  it  had  just  been  imported 
from  New  York,  and  she  was  inclined  to  be  ex 
ultant  over  the  effect  of  the  billycock  hat  and 
long,  tight-fitting  ulster,  of  which  it  was  composed, 
as  she  surveyed  herself  in  the  mirror  before  going 
on  deck.  The  vessel  was  now  under  full  steam,  and 
the  land  seemed  already  a  gray  bank  on  the  horizon. 
With  the  inhalation  of  the  sea-breeze  her  spirits 
had  returned.  She  felt  ready  for  adventure  and 
new  experience.  Her  pulses  throbbed  with  the 
satisfaction  of  being  free  and  her  own  mistress. 
The  sight  of  the  broad  blue  ocean,  already  breaking 
in  white  caps,  suggested  to  her  the  liberty  and 
strength  of  the  nation  toward  whose  shores  she  was 
being  carried.  Spellbound  she  stood,  gazing  out 
over  the  deep,  unconscious  of  the  admiration  of 
some  of  her  fellow-passengers  struck  by  the  expres 
sive  beauty  of  her  face. 

Chancing  to  look  around,  she  saw  come  oat  of  the 
so-called  "  captain's  state-room,"  much  sought  after 
by  voyagers  of  means,  the  young  man  who  had  at 
tracted  her  attention  two  hours  before.  He,  also, 
had  altered  his  toilet  to  the  extent  of  substituting  a. 
shirt  collar  of  blue  cheviot  for  his  white  one,  and 
donning  as  a  head-gear  a  rough,  knit  Tarn  o'  Shan- 
ter,  which  he  may  have  fancied  gave  him  the  air  of 
a  sea-dog,  but  which  in  complicity  with  his  striped 
ulster  hanging  down  to  his  heels,  and  an  orange 
scarf  about  his  neck,  suggested  rather  a  bandit  in 
easy  circumstances. 


3O  FACE   TO  FACE. 

He  had  an  air  of  intense  reserve,  which  confirmed 
Evelyn's  impression  that  he  was  an  Englishman  of 
social  standing.  This  was  indeed  so  engrossing  a 
characteristic  that  people  not  accustomed  to  it  might 
readily  have  failed  to  note  at  first  that  he  was  good- 
looking,  with  eyes  of  a  thoughtful,  intelligent  cast, 
when  their  gaze  became  fixed,  as  it  did  for  an  in 
stant  on  Evelyn,  as  he  walked  by.  His  cold  and 
somewhat  supercilious  scrutiny  assured  her  that 
she  was  not  recognized.  She  had  seen  dozens  of 
men  like  him  at  home.  In  addition  to  the  details 
described,  he  wore  a  closely  cut  pair  of  whiskers, 
the  precision  of  which  was  typical  of  his  whole  ap 
pearance.  She  fancied  that  he  might  be  some  future 
peer  going  out  to  investigate  the  new  world.  Some 
how  he  seemed  to  her  even  more  pronounced  in  his 
peculiarities  than  most  of  his  class.  He  drew  out  a 
pipe,  and  began  to  walk  up  and  down  the  deck  with 
a  hauteur  likely  to  discountenance  any  disposition 
for  colloquy  on  the  part  of  others. 

Evelyn  could  not  help  wondering  what  the  young 
man  thought  of  her,  and  if  he  took  her  for  Ameri 
can  or  English.  Just  then  the  dinner  hour  struck, 
and  presently  she  found  herself  opposite  to  him  at 
table.  He  paid  not  the  slightest  attention  to  any 
body  but  the  steward,  to  whom  he  gave  the  most 
precise  directions  as  to  what  to  bring  him  to  eat. 

A  spirit  of  deviltry  was  rapidly  getting  the  better 
of  Evelyn.  She  had  heard  and.  read  much  of  the 
original  ways  of  American  girls,  and  the  idea  oc 
curred  to  her.  of  assuming  the  part  of  one  by  way 


FACE   TO  FACE.  31 

of  practice.  Why  should  she  not  try  her  maiden 
effort  on  her  countryman,  who  would  be  disquali 
fied  to  pick  flaws  in  the  conception  ? 

Acting  on  the  impulse  she  leaned  forward,  and 
vith  expansive  graciousness  asked  him  for  the  but 
ter.  Before  complying  with  her  request,  the  stran 
ger  clapped  a  single  glass,  which  dangled  from  his 
neck,  into  his  eye,  and  gazed  at  her  frigidly.  As 
Evelyn  took  the  dish  from  his  hand  she  thanked 
him  with  an  effusion  that  caused  him  to  shrink  into 
his  skin  like  a  sea-anemone,  and  almost  immediately 
he  left  the  table. 

It  was  twilight  when  Evelyn  went  on  deck,  and 
as  she  sauntered  along  she  caught  sight  of  her  vic 
tim  standing  near  the  man  at  the  wheel.  With 
an  effontery  that  surprised  herself  she  continued 
her  stroll  until  she  reached  the  same  locality  of 
comparative  isolation.  Her  approach  had  failed  to 
disturb  him.  He  had  his  back  turned  to  her,  and 
was  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  the  sunset, 
which  was  unusually  fine.  Leaning  against  the 
railing  a  few  feet  off,  she  followed  his  example.  At 
length  he  turned  a  little,  and  as  their  eyes  met  the 
iciness  of  his  stare  was  appalling.  Again  he  put  up 
his  glass  and  moved  away,  this  time  to  the  retire 
ment  of  the  smoking-room  or  his  own  quarters,  for 
though  Evelyn  stayed  on  deck  watching  the  stars 
for  some  hours,  she  did  not  get  another  glimpse  of 
him  that  evening. 

The  next  day  when  she  awoke  the  sea  was  still 
calm  as  a  mill-pond.  They  were  off  the  Irish  coast, 


32  FACE    TO  FACE. 

just  leaving  Queenstown.  As  Evelyn  lay  in  her  berth 
enjoying  the  fresh  air  that  was  not  yet  forbidden 
her  through  the  closing  of  the  dead-eye,  she  heard 
her  table  companion's  voice  in  the  passage  asking 
for  a  bath  with  praiseworthy  iteration.  To  continue 
the  part  she  had  undertaken,  she  hastened  to  dress 
herself  that  she  might  breakfast  in  his  society.  But 
when  she  entered  the  saloon  he  had  apparently  not 
yet  put  in  an  appearance.  She  lingered  at  table 
longer  than  was  necessary  to  no  avail  ;  but  as  she 
rose  to  go  she  perceived  him  ensconced  at  the  other 
side  of  the  room,  with  the  wherewithal  for  a  hearty 
meal  before  him.  She  could  scarcely  restrain  her 
laughter  as  it  dawned  upon  her  that  he  had  changed 
his  seat  doubtless  on  her  account 

But  mingled  with  her  mirth  was  a  tinge  both  of 
pique  and  of  irritation.  She  had  scarcely  bargained 
for  the  uncomplimentary  turn  that  matters  were 
taking.  She  wondered  if  she  were  bungling  her  at 
tempt  to  change  her  nationality.  For  who  erer 
heard  of  an  American  girl,  whose  personal  attrac 
tions  were  so  little  open  to  criticism  as  hers  failing 
to  fascinate  ?  Whatever  else  censors  might  say  re 
garding  the  originality  that  distinguished  her  sex 
across  the  ocean,  who  could  question  its  potency  to 
affect  the  masculine  imagination  ?  And  was  she 
deficient  ?  Had  she  striven  in  vain  to  imitate  the 
delightful  ease  of  manner  necessary  to  success  ? 

It  was  much  more  flattering  to  her  self-esteem  to 
assume,  as  an  alternative,  that  Englishmen  of  the 
variety  to  which  this  young  man  belonged  were 


33 

even  more  provincial  than  she  had  supposed.  He 
had  seen  fit,  forsooth,  to  take  offence  because  she 
had  asked  him  to  pass  the  butter  with  a  little  more 
suavity  than  the  misses  to  whose  society  he  was  ac 
customed  would  have  ventured  to  display,  because 
she  had  chanced  to  watch  the  sunset  from  the  same 
quarter  of  the  ship,  and  because  her  clothes  were 
out  of  the  common  run  of  London  patterns.  He 
was  not  willing  to  be  civil  to  his  fellow-passengers 
for  fear  of  committing  himself.  How  narrowband 
how  in  accord  with  the  doctrine  of  forms  and  set 
phrases  and  inherited  opinions  from  which  she  was 
every  hour  being  borne  further  away  !  Happily  he 
would  be  soon  taught  a  lesson.  As  soon  as  his  feet 
touched  the  soil  of  freedom  he  would  find  that  he 
was  no  better  than  anybody  else. 

But  she  resolved  thai,  since  he  was  so  easily 
shocked,  she  would  continue  the  process,  accepting 
for  the  nonce  the  supposition  that  she  was  ignorant 
of  American  usages.  It  might  be  she  had  been  too 
mild  in  her  methods,  and  that  something  was  neces 
sary  to  arouse  his  languid  interest.  She  would  make 
the  attempt,  and  if,  as  she  preferred  to  believe,  his 
national  prejudice  in  favor  of  ceremony  was  the  cause 
of  her  ill  success,  how  frantic  a  still  further  breach 
\vould  drive  him  !  She  could  have  the  satisfaction, 
at  least,  of  making  his  life  miserable  during  the  re 
mainder  of  the  voyage. 

As  a  consequence  of  this  resolve  she  awaited  with 
anticipation  his  reappearance.  He  came  out  at  last, 
fortified  with  a  chair  and  rugs,  and  directed  the 
3 


34  FACE   TO  FACE. 

steward  who  carried  them  to  a.  distant  corner  of  the 
deck,  as  far  as  possible  apparently  from  the  vicinity 
of  his  enemy,  whose  whereabouts  he  had  first  ascer 
tained  by  a  cursory  glance.  He  wrapped  himself 
up  and  began  to  examine  some  illustrated  papers. 

Although  the  sea  was  not  rough,  there  were  com 
paratively  few  people  above  stairs,  owing  to  the 
chilliness  of  the  atmosphere.  Evelyn,  being  herself 
well  protected,  was  not  displeased  to  see  the  other 
ladies  disappear  one  by  one  below,  until  she  was  at 
last  the  only  person  of  her  sex  remaining  on  deck. 
A  feeling  of  skittishnessas  to  what  might  take  place 
made  her  prefer  that  the  coast  should  be  clear. 
What  should  she  do  ?  How  could  she  most  effec 
tively  continue  the  experiment  without  doing  any 
thing  incompatible  with  ladylike  behavior  ?  She 
desired  to  enter  into  conversation  with  her  fellow- 
countryman,  but  she  felt  that  it  must  be  done  natu 
rally  and  without  apparent  deliberation,  or  she  would 
be  unjust  to  her  models. 

They  were  getting  fairly  out  to  sea  now  and  the 
freshening  breeze  acting  on  the  furnace  fires,  caused 
the  smoke  to  pour  in  thick,  black  columns  from  the 
funnels.  Large  soots  and  irritating  cinders  began 
to  fall  about  her  and  to  render  a  change  of  position 
necessary.  She  would  be  safe  from  this  annoyance 
only  to  the  forward  of  the  smoke-stacks.  She  felt 
therefore  no  scruples  in  gathering  up  her  belong 
ings  and  moving  to  within  a  few  yards  of  where  her 
ungracious  foe  was  sitting.  Fie  looked  up  and 
scowled  appreciably.  He  even  turned  his  head  as 


FACE    TO   FACE.  35 

/f  to  ascertain  whether  there  were  not  some  equally 
sheltered  spot  to  which  to  flee.  But  his  present 
location  under  the  lee  of  a  life-boat  was  a  more 
effectual  protection  from  the  wind  than  was  obtain 
able  elsewhere.  Besides,  to  move  would  involve  a 
disarrangement  of  his  comfortable  system  of  wraps. 
At  least  Evelyn  thus  conjectured  as  to  the  thoughts 
passing  through  his  mind,  and  as  she  did  not  wish 
to  have  him  escape  her,  she  deemed  it  more  discreet 
to  close  her  eyes  with  an  air  of  composing  herself 
for  slumber. 

The  device  was  successful.  When  she  took  a 
peep,  five  minutes  later,  he  appeared  engrossed  in 
his  illustrated  newspapers.  Several  which  he  had 
already  read  lay  on  the  deck,  secured  from  blowing 
away  by  the  weight  of  the  leg  of  his  sea-chair. 

Evelyn  wondered  how  an  American  girl  would 
manage  under  similar  circumstances.  Clearly — ac 
cording  to  her  preconceived  ideas — no  representa 
tive  of  her  sex  from  across  the  water  would  let 
slip  an  opportunity  like  this  for  beguiling  the  ted 
ium  of  the  voyage.  She  felt  a  little  nonplussed,  and 
disposed  to  bewail  her  self-consciousness  as  the  dis 
couraging  factor  in  the  case.  She  reflected  (as  she 
tried  to  screw  up  her  courage  to  break  the  ice  which 
kept  them  apart)  that  it  was  not  so  easy  after  all  to 
acquire  the  art  of  fascination,  and  that  to  take  a  step 
naturally  and  from  instinct,  differs  widely  from  an 
artificial  accomplishment  of  the  same. 

At  last,  by  a  happy  inspiration  she  chanced  to 
notice  the  pile  of  papers  at  his  feet.  She  recog- 


36  FACE    TO  FACE. 

nLzed  the  Illustrated  London  News  and  Graphic  among 
them,  so  that  there  could  be  no  reason  why  she 
should  not  ask  to  look  at  them.  Accordingly,  with 
a  repetition  of  her  engaging  manner  of  the  day  be 
fore,  she  said  : 

"  May  I  look  at  one  of  your  newspapers,  please  ?  " 
The  young  man  jumped  as  if  he  had  been  shot, 
and  scowled  again  stonily.  But  as  there  seemed  no 
help  for  it,  he  roused  himself  with  a  more  than  nec 
essary  upheaval  of  his  comfort,  and  dragging  the 
whole  collection  of  printed  matter  from  under  his 
chair,  held  it  out  at  arm's  length  for  Evelyn's  recep 
tion,  with  an  air  that  implied,  "Take  everything, 
but  leave  me  alone."  Then  he  buried  himself  more 
completely  than  ever  in  his  ulster,  pulling  up  his 
collar  as  an  additional  safeguard  from  intrusion,  and 
appearing  utterly  callous  to  the  enthusiastic  "Thank 
you  very,  very  much  ;  I  am  afraid  I  have  disturbed 
you  dreadfully,"  with  which  his  tormentor  rewarded 
his  bounty,  save  that  a  moment  or  two  later,  he  gave 
his  chair  a  hitch  with  the  effect  of  turning  her  a  cold 
shoulder. 

Now  that  she  had  taken  the  first  step,  Evelyn  felt 
eager  for  a  continuation  of  hostilities.  She  turned 
over  the  pages  of  the  newspapers,  scarcely  heeding 
the  illustrations,  until  her  eye  chanced  to  note  the 
name  "  Ernest  Clay  "  written  in  pencil  on  the  mar 
gin  of  a  copy  of  Punch.  That  was  probably  his 
»ame,  she  reflected.  Clay  ?  She  could  not  recall 
a»y  family  of  that  name  among  the  gilded  youth 
«f  the  United  Kingdom.  However,  she  was  by  no 


FACE    TO    FACE.  37 

means  well  acquainted  with  that  body,  of  which  it 
certainly  required  no  oracle  to  inform  her  that  he 
was  a  member. 

She  felt  ripe  for  mischief.  She  argued  that  she 
might  as  well  hang  for  a  sheep  as  a  lamb.  There 
was  no  longer  a  doubt  in  her  mind  that  her  only 
chance  of  triumphing  over  her  countryman  was  to 
do  or  say  something  really  determinative,  so  as  to 
convince  him  beyond  question  that  she  was  an  Amer 
ican.  For,  despite  the  confidence  she  professed  to 
herself  to  entertain  that  her  characterization  was 
without  flaws,  the  agonizing  suspicion  that  he  saw 
through  her  disguise,  notwithstanding  her  costume 
and  forward  ways,  still  haunted  her.  Language, 
expression,  intonation,  were  after  all  the  most  con 
vincing  proofs  of  nationality.  She  must  say  some 
thing  typical,  something  that  smacked  distinctively 
of  the  new  world.  Why  should  he  be  expected 
to  suppose,  from  the  few  indications  she  had  already 
given  him,  that  she  was  returning  home  rather  than 
leaving  it  ?  Very  possibly  he  was  slow  of  under 
standing,  and  needed  to  have  things  put  in  black  and 
white  before  he  could  grasp  them.  And  then,  to 
her  horror  it  occurred  to  her  that  the  expression 
"  very,  very,"  that  she  had  just  employed  was  a 
typically  English  form  of  speech.  How  could  she 
have  been  so  careless  ?  That  alone  was  sufficient  to 
betray  her. 

She  felt  that  the  impression  must  be  eradicated  at 
once  by  some  unequivocal  phrases  that  no  English 
-girl  would  use.  She  ransacked  her  memory,  and 


38  FACE    TO   FACE. 

fortunately  was  able  to  conjure  up  certain  words 
which  were  often  on  the  lips  of  the  party  she  had 
met  in  Switzerland,  and  which  she  had  encountered 
again  in  the  course  of  her  extensive  reading  of 
American  fiction.  She  remembered  also  her  father's 
disgust,  when  he  chanced  one  day  to  overhear  the 
conversation  of  those  people,  manifested  by  a  scorn 
ful  repetition  of  certain  obnoxious  phrases  in  the 
presence  of  the  family  circle. 

Another  opportunity  to  address  her  neighbor  was 
plainly  afforded  by  the  necessity  to  return  the  news 
papers  which  she  had  borrowed. 

'•It  was  right  kind  of  you  to  lend  me  these,"  she 
said,  and  then,  as  he  took  them  from  her  hand,  "I  guess 
this  voyage  is  going  to  be  real  elegant,  don't  you  ? " 

A  sort  of  shiver  ran  through  her  victim  and,  mut 
tering  something  that  failed  to  reach  her  ears,  he 
twisted  round  his  chair  a  little  further. 

"  What  say  ? "  she  asked. 

This  was  too  much.  He  raised  himself  in  his 
chair  and  said,  stiffly  : 

"  I  didn't  speak." 

Then,  with  a  haughty  disdain  compressing  his  fea 
tures,  the  young  man  got  up  and,  gathering  his  ef 
fects,  started  to  change  his  seat.  Just  as  he  stooped 
to  fold  his  rhair,  however,  a  violent  gust  blew  over 
the  deck,  and  lifting  his  Tarn  O'Shanter  from  his 
head  as  if  it  had  been  a  feather,  transferred  it  to  the 
lap  of  Evelyn,  who  clutched  at  and  held  it.  But  as 
if  the  very  devil  were  in  it,  the  same  envious  cyclone 
carried  off  her  billycock  hat  as  well. 


FACE    TO   FACE.  39 

Convulsed  at  the  unexpected  turn  that  fate  had 
given  to  the  affair,  Evelyn  approached  her  adver 
sary,  who,  red  with  confusion,  was  standing  helpless 
ly  holding  his  rugs  and  newspapers,  and  restored 
him  his  property. 

"  Thanks  awfully,"  he  murmured,  and  thawed 
either  by  the  extreme  good  humor  of  the  laughing 
girl  who  was  striving  valiantly  to  protect  her  ex 
posed  hair  from  the  vagaries  of  the  after-currents, 
or  by  her  beauty,  which  lie  realized  now  perhaps  for 
the  first  time,  a  smile  relaxed  his  features. 

"  Don't  mention  it,"  she  replied,  blithely,  and  turn 
ing  on  her  heel,  she  tripped  along  the  deck  in  pur 
suit  of  her  own  precious  head  covering,  which,  after 
a  brief  respite,  had  just  begun  another  expedition. 

It  would  have  interested  a  student  of  human  nat 
ure  to  watch  on  Ernest  Clay's  face  the  struggle 
between  pride  and  the  instincts  of  gallantry  that 
were  contesting  for  the  mastery  as  he  followed  Eve 
lyn  with  his  eyes.  But  the  sight  was  too  much  for 
his  gentlemanly  feelings,  and  letting  drop  his  shawls, 
he  joined  in  the  chase  of  the  offending  hat,  which, 
buffeted  by  the  breeze,  was  describing  every  sort  of 
manoeuvre  in  its  efforts  to  elude  capture. 

Evelyn  heard  his  steps  behind  her,  and  the  con 
sciousness  of  his  approach  added  wings  to  her  feet. 
She  flew  along  the  deck,  and  he,  with  the  determin 
ation  of  a  man  who  hates  to  be  frustrated  in  what  he 
has  undertaken,  redoubled  his  speed.  She  reached 
the  spot  where  the  hat  had  come  to  a  standstill 
and  had  stretched  out  her  hand  to  pick  it  up,  when 


4O  FACE   TO  FACE. 

another  fluke  of  wind  bore  it  beyond  her  grasp  and 
with  some  force  against  the  bulwarks,  from  which 
it  bounded  into  her  pursuer's  hands. 

"I  guess  we're  quits,"  she  said,  with  a  merry 
laugh. 

Again  a  shade  of  annoyance  crossed  his  face,  as  if 
a  pin  had  pricked  him,  and  he  held  the  hat  with  a 
gingerly  stiff  pose,  somewhat  suggestive  of  one  who 
transfers  a  dead  cat  by  the  tail  from  the  pavement 
to  an  ash-barrel ;  but  he  had  evidently  concluded 
that,  having  committed  himself  so  far,  he  had  better 
make  the  best  of  a  distasteful  situation,  for,  as  they 
returned  to  where  their  chairs  were,  he  looked  up 
and  said  : 

"I  fancy  you're  from  the  West." 

For  an  instant  Evelyn  felt  her  head  swim,  so  great 
vras  her  surprise  ;  then  she  replied,  with  pleased  al 
acrity  : 

"  How  did  you  find  out  ? " 


TIL 

ALL  is  not  gold  that  glitters.  In  spite  of  most 
deceptive  appearances,  which  fully  justiied 
Miss  Pimlico  in  taking  the  young  man  on  whom 
she  had  tried  her  'prentice  hand  to  be  a  fellow-coun 
tryman  of  her  own,  the  fact  remains  that  Ernest 
Clay  had  been  born  and  bred  in  New  York  City. 
Indeed,  his  ancestry  was  most  distinctly  American. 
On  his  paternal  side,  he  could  claim  kinship  with  a 
Clay  who  lived  in  Puritan  times,  and  from  whom 
he  was  descended  in  a  direct  line  through  a  farmer, 
a  schoolmaster,  two  clergymen,  a  country  doctor,  and 
a  banker.  The  last  named  was  his  grandfather,  who 
left  the  family  homestead  in  Worcester  County,  Mas 
sachusetts,  with  the  hope  of  making  his  fortune  in  the 
great  money  mart  of  the  nation.  This  he  succeeded 
in  doing  before  middle  life,  and  after  various  ex 
periences  he  founded  the  banking  house  which  bore 
his  name  for  many  years  after  his  death,  in  1850,  and 
was  a  synonym  for  commercial  honor  and  sagacity. 
He  left  one  son,  who  had  married  before  the  old 
man's  decease  Grace,  the  youngest  daughter  of 
Peter  Hackensack,  the  great-grandson  of  the  famous 
patroon  of  the  same  name.  Though  putatively  an 
alliance  between  blood  and  money,  the  banker's 


42  FACE    TO  FACE. 

heir  was  dead  in  love  with  his  Knickerbocker  bride, 
who  reciprocated  his  passion  with  all  her  heart. 
He  succeeded  to  his  father's  positions  as  head  of 
the  firm,  director  in  numerous  corporations,  and 
favorite  trustee  of  charitable  institutions  ;  and  being 
by  temperament  a  restless,  enterprising  fellow  as 
well,  his  thousands  soon  became  a  cool  million. 
His  wife,  a  beautiful,  spirited  woman,  who  had  been 
a  belle  before  her  marriage,  became  a  society  leader 
after  the  maternal  interests,  which  the  birth  of 
Ernest  inspired,  became  a  trifle  monotonous,  and 
for  many  seasons  it  was  the  fashion  for  men  out  of 
conceit  for  their  own  wives  to  send  her  flowers. 
Her  ambition  was  to  keep  pace  with,  or  rather  a 
little  in  advance  of,  the  rapid  change  in  social  tastes 
that  was  taking  place  in  New  York.  Her  father's 
carriage  had  been  one  of  the  first  private  equipages 
in  the  city,  and  she  remembered  to  have  often  heard 
him  say  that  the  maintenance  of  it  was  regarded 
by  many  as  ostentatious,  and  inconsistent  with 
proper  self-respect.  But  now  dozens  of  coupes  vied 
with  each  other  on  Fifth  Avenue,  which  itself  had 
sprung  into  existence  as  if  by  magic,  stretching, 
ornate  with  splendid  residences,  further  and  further 
up-town.  Midday  dinners  were  beginning  to  be 
long  to  the  past,  and  it  was  a  proud  moment  for 
her  when  she  ceased,  also,  to  dine  early  on  Sundays 
on  roast  beef,  with  a  dish  of  baked  beaus  at  the 
other  end  of  the  table,  and  an  Indian  pudding  to 
follow,  a  custom  dear  to  many  generations  of  Clays. 
What  was  the  use,  as  she  forcibly  put  it  to  her  hus- 


FACE   TO  FACE.  43 

band,  of  having  a  magnificent  new  house,  and  a 
French  cook,  if  they  were  to  live  primitively  in 
other  respects  ?  Doubtless  she  was  prescient  enough 
to  foresee  that  the  day  would  not  be  distant  when 
the  food  of  families  which  aspired  to  fashion  would 
be  phrased  in  a  foreign  lingo,  and  a  footman  in 
livery  be  indispensable  to  the  happiness  of  young 
married  couples. 

The  attack  on  Fort  Sumter  greatly  excited  the 
prosperous  banker.  Though  not  an  Abolitionist 
properly  speaking,  he  had  voted  for  Abraham  Lin 
coln,  and  watched  the  ominous  clouds  of  political 
dissension  with  a  growing  sense  of  bitterness  toward 
the  South.  The  press  of  private  affairs  and  the  ob 
jections  of  his  friends  prevented  him  from  volunteer 
ing  in  response  to  the  President's  first  call  for 
troops  ;  but  when  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Bull  Run 
arrived,  he  recruited  a  regiment  at  his  own  expense, 
and  hurried  to  the  front.  He  was  killed  a  year  later 
at  Antietam. 

His  estate — the  portion  of  it  at  least  which  by  the 
terms  of  his  will  was  put  in  trust  for  his  only  son — 
was  so  prudently  managed  by  his  executors,  that 
Ernest  on  his  twenty-first  birthday  came  into  not 
less  than  six  millions  of  dollars,  almost  treble  the 
original  amount  of  his  inheritance.  This  did  not 
include  the  share  bequeathed  to  the  widow,  who, 
plunged  into  terrible  sorrow,  found  at  last  a  new 
hold  on  vitality  in  the  bringing  up  of  her  boy. 
Although  she  never  left  off  black  to  the  end  of  her 
days,  her  costumes,  marvellous  with  passementerie, 


44  FACE    TO   FACE. 

were  in  conformity  with  the  sumptuousness  of  the 
home  where  this  last  hope  of  the  Clays  grew  from 
childhood  to  adolescence,  surrounded  by  every  lux 
ury  that  money  could  command. 

With  all  her  fondness  for  high-living  and  bric-a- 
brac,  and  liveried  servants,  the  Dowager  Clay,  .is 
she  was  called  by  the  obsequious,  was  by  no  means 
a  foolish  woman.  Provided  that  her  Ernest  was 
fashionable,  she  had  no  objection  to  his  being  clever 
also.  He  was  sent  to  Harvard,  where  his  father  had 
graduated  thirty  years  before,  and  he  rather  distin 
guished  himself  as  a  student.  Among  his  classmates 
he  was  considered  more  than  ordinarily  intelligent, 
and  consequently  was  kept  at  arm's  length  (in  spite 
of  his  wealth)  by  the  crack  set,  who  regarded  this 
attribute  in  his  character  as  inconsistent  with  their 
conception  of  a  "  true  sport."  Shy,  quiet,  and  a 
reader,  he  passed  an  uneventful  four  years  and  quitted 
Cambridge  with  the  commendations  of  his  Alma  Ma 
ter,  which,  however,  were  unable  wholly  to  reconcile 
his  own  mother  to  his  slight  figure  and  lack  of  style. 

She  felt  it  therefore  incumbent  upon  her,  though 
the  sacrifice  cost  her  many  tears,  to  let  him  loose 
among  the  capitals  of  Europe,  under  the  ostensible 
plea  of  learning  the  languages.  She  herself  crossed 
the  ocean  two  successive  summers  to  observe  his 
progress,  and  was  agreeably  surprised  on  the  second 
occasion  to  find  that  fluency  in  French  and  German 
had  spruced  him  up  wonderfully,  and  made  him 
more  like  other  people.  He  was  become  a  bit  of  a 
dandy,  with  a  lurking  distrust  for  the  soundness  of 


FACE   TO  FACE.  45 

his  country's  institutions,  which  did  not  by  any 
means  displease  his  fond  parent,  who  was  beginning 
to  fancy  Paris  as  the  Mecca  of  her  declining  years, 
seeing  that  she  had  no  daughter  to  bring  into  so 
ciety. 

However,  she  was  anxious  that  Ernest  should  ap 
pear  in  his  new  character  upon  his  native  heath,  if 
for  no  other  reason,  than  that  he  might  choose  a  wife 
from  among  the  young  women  with  whose  ante 
cedents  she  was  familiar.  For,  little  as  she  would 
have  objected  to  his  living  abroad,  Mrs.  Clay  had  a 
great  belief  in  what  she  was  pleased  to  call  "blood." 

Accordingly,  mother  and  son  made  their  reappear 
ance  on  the  social  horizon  of  their  native  city  early 
the  following  autumn,  presaging  a  series  of  splendid 
entertainments  at  the  family  residence  during  the 
winter.  A  murmur  of  anticipation  pervaded  society, 
and  match-making  mammas  took  care  to  be  over 
heard  by  their  daughters  estimating  the  figures  of 
the  Clay  inheritance.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life 
Ernest  began  to  realize  what  an  important  person 
he  was.  His  indifference  hitherto  to  the  circum 
stance  that  he  was  enormously  rich  had  always 
seemed  strange  to  his  mother,  and  caused  her  to 
shake  her  head  at  such  philosophical  observances 
of  his,  as  that  he  was  almost  sorry  not  to  have  been 
born  to  face  the  necessity  of  earning  his  own  living. 

But,  whether  owing  to  the  excessive  court  paid 
him  in  social  circles,  or  to  the  late  dropping  of  the 
scales  from  his  eyes,  he  altered  very  rapidly  bcth  as 
concerned  his  tastes  and  ideas.  He  became,  almost 


46  FACE    TO   FACE. 

with  the  despatch  of  the  chrysalis,  one  of  the  im 
maculate  young  exquisites  who  float  from  ball-room 
to  ball-room  on  the  saccharine  atmosphere  of  femi 
nine  flattery.  No  entertainment  was  complete 
without  his  presence,  and  no  maiden  otherwise  than 
envied  whom  he  honored  with  his  attention.  An 
endless  round  of  dances,  and  dinners,  and  other 
festivities  consumed  his  nights  and  revolutionized 
his  habits  of  early  rising.  Like  his  mother,  he 
proved  ambitious  to  be  a  little  in  advance  of  his 
generation.  He  went  in  for  coaching  among  the 
very  first,  and  the  yacht  he  built  was  long  after 
cited  as  a  model  of  maritime  luxury.  He  imported 
hounds  from  England  with  the  hope  of  organizing 
a  new  national  pastime  in  the  teeth  of  a  dearth  of  a 
natural  scent.  Tailors  and  florists,  bootmakers  and 
shirtmakers,  glovers  and  hatters  grew  prosperous 
on  his  patronage,  and  for  every  customer  whom  his 
recommendations  obtained  them  added  an  extra  per 
centage  to  his  bills. 

So  matters  went  on  for  two  or  three  years,  to  his 
mother's  infinite  delight.  Her  only  cause  of  griev 
ance  was  that  Ernest  showed  no  signs  of  settling 
down,  or,  in  other  words,  his  so-called  love  affairs 
had  all  proved  to  be  merely  flirtations.  She  did 
not  fail  to  talk  to  him  seriously  on  the  subject, 
holding  up  the  many  arguments  in  favor  of  matri 
mony,  and  illustrating  the  misery  of  single  life  after 
forty.  But  the  only  consolation  she  could  get  out 
of  him  was  that  he  still  had  fifteen  years  to  spare. 

Presently,    however,    he  evinced  symptoms  that 


FACE    TO   FACE.  47 

were  far  from  comforting  to  her  as  regarded  this 
hobby.  He  pronounced  parties  to  be  a  bore,  and 
began  to  seek  in  club  life  an  antidote  for  a  weari 
ness  of  spirit  which  was  partly  affected,  but  partly 
genuine.  His  horses  and  yacht  palled  upon  him 
When  he  was  not  playing  cards  he  read  French  novels, 
and  regularly  as  clock  work  he  spent  his  summer 
across  the  water.  One  day  he  astounded  his  mother 
by  announcing  that  he  was  going  to  practice  civil 
engineering,  a  study  that  had  always  interested  him. 
It  was  not  difficult  for  him  to  obtain  admission  as 
assistant  in  a  first-class  office.  For  six  months  he 
worked  like  a  beaver,  but  with  the  thermometer  at 
ninety  in  the  latter  part  of  June  the  white  cliffs  of 
Dover  rose  before  him  so  eloquently,  that,  to  use  his 
own  language,  "he  cut  the  whole  business."  He 
went  abroad,  and  on  his  return  in  September,  started 
almost  immediately  on  a  trip  around  the  world  by 
way  of  San  Francisco.  It  was  at  the  end  of  this  trip 
that  he  had  fallen  in  with  Miss  Pimlico. 

Without  lacking  patriotism  at  heart,  perhaps, 
Ernest  Clay  was  certainly  an  Anglomaniac  in  his 
appearance  and  general  tone.  He  habitually  bought 
his  entire  wardrobe  in  London,  and  in  conversation 
was  fond  of  contrasting  the  servile  civility  of  English 
tradespeople  with  the  garrulity  of  barbers  and  the  inv 
pertinences  of  hotel  clerks  at  home.  Then,  although 
he  had  never  lifted  a  finger  to  remedy  democratic 
abuses,  excepting  to  attend  a  caucus  or  two,  he  was 
never  slow  to  quote  the  favorite  aphorism  of  our 
leisure  class  that  politics  in  the  United  States  is  not 


48  FACE   TO  FACE. 

a  fit  calling  for  gentlemen  ;  from  which  it  was  an 
easy  step  to  maintain  the  doctrine  that  all  men  are 
born  free  and  equal  to  be  a  fallacy  for  practical  pur 
poses.  At  times  also  he  cast  rather  a  longing  eye 
at  the  British  system  of  class  distinctions,  taking  it 
as  granted  that  if  he  had  happened  to  be  born  on 
the  other  side  of  the  water,  he  would  have  been 
a  lord  ;  for,  with  some  inconsistency,  considering 
his  other  views,  he  regarded  his  own  family  as  in 
ferior  to  few,  if  any,  in  the  United  Kingdom  in  point 
of  breeding  and  aristocratic  pretensions.  Then,  too, 
he  thought  of  Englishmen  as  a  fine-looking  body 
with  a  strong  taste  for  physical  sports,  and  he  was 
apt  to  maintain  that  it  was  everything  to  him  to  live 
where  there  were  hansom  cabs. 

But  one  of  the  strongest  prejudices  he  entertained 
regarding  his  native  country  was  on  the  subject  of 
American  girls,  under  which  score  of  criticism  he 
never  included  the  young  ladies  of  education,  re 
finement,  and  high  social  standing,  who  seemed  in 
his  eyes  very  much  like  girls  everywhere,  except,  as 
he  was  patriotic  enough  to  claim,  that  they  dressed 
in  better  taste  and  were  more  agreeable  compan 
ions  than  those  of  societies  where  less  freedom  is 
allowed  before  marriage.  Indeed  he  was  rather  a 
champion  of  the  charms  of  a  host  of  feminine  friends 
whom  he  could  think  of  in  New  York  as  specimens 
of  one  of  the  few  national  products  that  defied  criti 
cism.  Those  inveighed  against  by  him  were  girls  of 
the  Daisy  Miller  variety,  whom  foreigners  delighted 
to  regard  as  the  sole  national  type.  He  could  dis- 


FACE   TO  FACE.  49 

course  eloquently  on  the  subject.  What  a  diatribe 
that  impersonation  was  on  the  manners  of  society ! 
Such  social  eccentrics  existed  indeed,  but  who  ever 
met  them  in  polite  circles  ?  And  let  the  old  world 
sneer  as  it  might,  polite  circles  no  less  elegant  and 
fastidious  than  those  of  Mayfair  and  the  Boulevard 
St.  Germain  held  their  courts  in  Fifth  Avenue  and 
Beacon  Street.  Here  again  he  was  a  trifle  patriotic. 
But  he  could  not  be  too  severe,  it  seemed  to  him, 
against  the  daughters  of  the  masses,  who,  on  the  plea 
of  emancipation,  had  played  ducks  and  drakes  with 
the  repute  of  American  womanhood,  not  only  at 
home — where  such  behavior,  though  reprobated,  was 
not  misunderstood — but  in  city  and  hamlet,  through 
valley  and  over  mountain,  from  breadth  to  breadth 
of  the  Eastern  continent,  to  the  amazement  of  its 
peoples,  who  showed  the  palms  of  their  hands  and 
shrugged  their  shoulders  by  way  of  comment. 

How  often  he  had  lashed  himself  into  a  fury  on  the 
subject,  as  some  bedizened  beauty  from  the  West 
sailed  past  him  unattended  in  the  streets  of  Paris, 
or  like  a  mountain  shepherdess,  with  crook  in  hand, 
looked  archly  at  him  at  sunrise  from  the  summit  of 
a  minor  Alp  !  He  knew  each  variety  well — that  is 
by  sight  and  observation,  for  he  had  taken  care  to 
avoid  personal  acquaintance.  There  was  the  young 
heiress  from  the  prairies,  proud  of  her  father's  mil 
lions,  yet  innocent  as  the  wheat  blades  at  their  foun 
dation,  confiding,  yearning  for  companionship,  and 
ready  to  ride  rough-shod  over  the  prejudices  of  em 
pires  in  pursuit  of  it  ;  and  again  the  seeker  after 

4 


$0  FACE   TO  FACE. 

culture  from  the  sea-board,  resolute,  in  spite  of  pov 
erty  and  by  dint  of  purity,  to  penetrate  alone,  guide 
book  in  hand,  churches  and  galleries,  booths  and 
catacombs ;  or  simply  the  lightning  excursionist, 
ambitious  of  compressing  into  a  period  rather  less 
than  sixty  days,  including  the  ocean  passage  to  and 
fro,  the  sight-seeing  of  an  ordinary  lifetime. 

Clay  had  come  on  board  ship  at  Liverpool,  after 
having  crossed  the  Channel  at  the  same  time  with 
a  personally  conducted  party  from  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  who  rubbed  the  wrong 
way  the  sentiments  of  interest  in  his  native  country 
which  had  been  gathering  head  during  his  tour 
around  the  world.  He  had  been  feeling  pensive, 
wondering  what  he  was  to  do  when  he  got  back.  For, 
except  in  the  first  flush  of  his  society  career,  he  had 
never  been  able  to  shake  off  entirely  the  feeling  that, 
if  he  had  been  born  poor,  he  might  have  amounted 
to  more  than  he  did.  But  what  was  a  man  with  his 
money  to  do  except  to  amuse  himself,  unless  he 
went  into  politics  ?  And  politics — well,  there  was 
no  field  for  anyone  there  who  was  not  willing  to 
truckle  and  trade.  Why  had  he  not  stuck  to  his 
civil  engineering  ?  Now  that  the  weather  was  cool, 
he  wished  he  had.  His  talents  lay  in  that  line,  if  in 
any.  Mechanics  always  ^interested  him,  and  at  col 
lege  he  had  invented  a  number  of  labor-saving  ap 
paratus  in  connection  with  his  own  rooms  that  were 
the  wonder  of  his  chums.  Seven  years  since  he 
graduated  !  And  what  had  he  accomplished  ?  To 
be  sure,  he  had  done  better  than  some  of  the  fel- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  51 

lows.  He  had  not  drunk  himself  to  death  like 
Tom  Fisher,  or  run  through  his  property  on  the 
stock  exchange  like  Bill  Doty,  or  married  a  ballet 
girl  in  imitation  of  Harrison  Murray.  He  had  his 
health,  a  good  six  millions,  and  no  family  cares  to 
harass  him.  Then,  too,  he  had  pleased  his  mother, 
excepting  perhaps  in  the  latter  particular.  But  he 
had  tried  his  best  to  fall  in  love.  Indeed  he  wished 
he  could.  But,  rather  than  marry  anyone  whom  he 
did  not  care  for  with  all  his  heart  and  soul,  he  would 
prefer  to  remain  a  bachelor  to  the  end  of  his  days. 
Of  this  he  felt  sure  in  spite  of  the  opinion  he  often 
heard  expressed  (and  he  acknowledged  as  probably 
sound),  that  in  highly  evolved  beings  the  faculty  of 
criticism  reduces  the  capacity  for  intense  enthusiasm 
almost  to  a  minimum.  He  felt  in  his  own  case  that 
he  would  be  likely  to  pick  flaws  in  a  goddess,  should 
she  appear  on  earth  as  a  candidate  to  become  his 
better  half. 

The  serenity  of  these  reflections,  coupled  with 
which  were  the  various  questionings  concerning  di 
vine  laws  and  human  civilizations  likely  to  occupy 
at  times  the  mind  of  a  young  man  who,  in  spite  of 
being  a  crack  polo  player  and  yachtsman,  is  an  in 
veterate  reader,  has  travelled  widely,  and  is  familiar 
with  three  languages  besides  his  own,  was  still 
clouded  by  the  remembrance  of  his  disagreeable 
journey  from  Calais,  when,  as  he  emerged  from  the 
deck  stateroom  secured  for  his  occupation  months 
in  advance,  his  eye  fell  on  Miss  Pimlico.  He  saw 
nothing  at  first  but  the  horror  of  a  hat,  the  precise 


52  FACE    TO   FACE. 

counterpart  of  one  worn  by  the  most  exasperating 
of  the  tourists  in  question,  which,  as  well  as  the 
tight-fitting  garment  swathing  her  figure,  was  totally 
unlike  Belgravian  fashions.  But  one  glance  was  suf 
ficient  to  convince  him  that  this  young  person  was  a 
countrywoman  of  his  own,  and  the  sense  of  irritation, 
of  which  her  presence  on  board  made  him  conscious, 
congealed  still  further,  as  he  paced  the  deck  with 
his  habitual  reserve  of  manner.  He  reasoned  that 
he  might  have  expected  to  see  some  such  extraordi 
nary  specimen  on  a  steamship  bound  to  the  United 
States.  But  we  are  apt  to  congratulate  ourselves 
that  what  is  disagreeable  will  be  averted,  until  it  is 
close  upon  us.  He  had,  from  a  previous  cursory 
glance,  got  the  impression  that  his  fellow-passengers 
were  an  uninteresting  set,  and  it  seemed  to  him  that 
this  young  woman  capped  the  climax. 

He  contented  himself  with  dismissing  her  from 
his  thoughts,  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  articles  of 
dress  referred  to,  he  would  not  have  known  that  it 
was  she  who  sat  opposite  to  him  at  the  dinner-table. 
But  there  was  no  doubt  about  the  fact,  nor  was 
there  any  doubt  in  his  mind  as  to  her  beauty, 
though  he  preferred  to  disregard  that  conscious 
ness.  He  put  the  question  to  himself  while  wait 
ing  for  his  soup  and  doing  his  best  to  ignore  her 
existence,  why  a  girl  not  by  any  means  ill  look 
ing,  taking  her  apart  from  her  wardrobe,  wished  to 
disfigure  herself  by  a  rig  such  as  that  which  she  had 
on  ?  He  was  well  aware  that  persons  like  her,  if 
given  an  inch,  will  take  an  ell,  and  he  had  no  inten- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  53 

tion  of  letting  her  get  up  a  flirtation  with  him.  Con- 
found  her  impudence  !  If  she  must  have  the  butter, 
why  make  eyes  at  him  in  that  fashion  ?  He  had  done 
nothing  to  justify  it.  Next  she  would  be  asking 
him  about  the  weather  or  the  ship's  run.  The  best 
thing  for  him  to  do  was  to  get  back  to  the  deck  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  make  the  steward  give  him  an 
other  seat  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage.  Come  to  think 
of  it,  her  voice  had  less  twang  than  one  might  have 
expected.  But  there  was  no  doubt  as  to  her  nation 
ality,  for  to  all  appearances  she  was  travelling  alone. 
The  sea  was  too  calm  to  admit  the  probability  that 
her  mother  was  unable  to  be  present  at  table.  Be 
sides,  there  was  no  vacant  place  beside  her.  He 
would  examine  the  passenger  list  to-morrow  and 
find  out.  Not  that  he  cared,  but  to  give  her  the 
benefit  of  the  doubt. 

He  wondered  who  she  was.  An  artist,  probably, 
or,  worse  still,  an  artist  with  literary  proclivities,  who 
would  write  up  the  voyage  for  the  newspapers  to 
eke  out  the  expenses  of  her  year  among  the  galleries 
of  Italy.  She  was  something  of  the  kind,  he  felt 
sure.  He  could  tell  by  her  restless  eye.  A  pretty 
state  of  affairs,  verily,  to  fancy  one's  self  a  genius  and 
yet  be  unable  to  speak  the  English  language  with 
correctness,  or  to  dress  otherwise  than  like  a  guy  ! 
For  there  was  no  reason  to  suppose  that  her  gram 
mar  would  be  more  unimpeachable  than  her  milli 
nery.  Well,  all  he  wanted  was  to  keep  out  of  her 
way.  How  fine  the  sky  was !  Heigho  !  he  must 
pull  himself  together  when  he  got  home  and  see 


54  FACE   TO  FACE. 

what  could  be  done.  He  was  tired  of  this  idling 
existence. 

Keep  out  of  her  way  ?  The  question  was  rather 
how  to  keep  her  out  of  his.  What  indelicacy  to  come 
prowling  out  to  within  a  few  feet  of  him  !  As  if, 
indeed,  she  cared  a  button  for  the  sunset.  Did  she 
suppose  he  would  jump  at  the  bait  and  strike  up  an 
acquaintance  ?  A  woman  with  any  perception 
would  have  known  that  it  was  the  most  unlikely 
way  possible  to  attract  a  man  of  his  sort.  What  a 
shame  that  a  girl  with  such  fine  eyes — for  they  cer 
tainly  were  all  that — should  be  so  lacking  in  mod 
esty.  Talk  to  her  ?  Catch  him.  Not  if  he  had  to 
pretend  he  was  deaf,  which  was  the  defence  he  had 
made  use  of  on  a  slightly  similar  occasion. 

As  he  walked  away,  after  she  had  disturbed  his 
view  of  the  sunset,  a  suspicion  crossed  Clay's  mind 
which  he  instantly  dismissed  as  out  of  the  question, 
but  not  without  reflecting  that  a  foreigner  would 
be  justified  in  harboring  it.  She  had  begun  opera 
tions  very  soon,  but  there  could  be  no  doubt  that 
she  was  perfectly  respectable,  so  far  as  her  moral 
character  was  concerned.  He  had  seen  dozens  like 
her,  though  fortunately  he  had  never  before  figured 
as  the  victim.  He  reflected  that  it  was  the  way  with 
the  girls  of  the  class  to  which  she  evidently  be 
longed,  to  consider  everything  as  fish  that  came  to 
their  nets.  He  said  to  himself  that  some  men  would 
have  taken  the  hint  and  found  such  a  flirtation  amus 
ing.  He  was  a  different  kind  of  man.  He  was  sorry 
for  her  lack  of  perception.  Not  that  he  would  be 


FACE    TO  FACE.  55 

likely  to  speak  to  her  in  any  event.  But  a  voyage 
often  drags,  and  there  is  no  telling  what  a  man  may 
condescend  to  when  bored.  She  had  ruined  her 
chances  of  making  his  acquaintance,  if  there  were 
any,  irreparably,  however. 

He  sat  in  the  smoking-room,  working  himself  up 
into  a  state  of  indignation.  He  reflected  that  mat 
ters  were  getting  to  a  pretty  pass  in  his  country,  if 
a  man  who  had  not  moved  a  muscle  of  his  face  was 
not  secure  from  molestation  by  a  young  woman, 
no  matter  how  good-looking.  Positively,  he  did  not 
dare  to  go  on  deck,  for  even  if  she  were  not  brazen 
enough  to  speak  to  him,  she  would  be  sure  to  keep 
him  constantly  on  tenter-hooks  by  her  glances,  drop 
ping  her  handkerchief  where  he  could  not  avoid 
picking  it  up,  or  trying  some  such  dodge  to  scrape 
acquaintance.  Taking  one  consideration  with  an 
other,  this  seemed  to  him  the  most  flagrant  case  he 
had  ever  known.  It  was  so  deliberate,  so  palpably 
cold-blooded.  She  would  argue  probably  that  she 
was  lonely.  Serve  her  right  for  travelling  alone. 
Pshaw  !  There  could  not  be  much  satisfaction  in 
conversing  with  a  girl  who  was  ignorant  of  the  very 
first  rules  of  propriety,  even  though  she  did  know 
all  about  Dante  and  the  Niebelungen  Lied. 

He  had  the  steward  change  his  seat  at  table  be 
fore  he  went  to  bed,  to  one  where  he  could  see  only 
her  back  hair,  which  he  contemplated  at  breakfast 
with  satisfaction.  He  felt  that  he  had  put  a  spoke 
in  her  wheel.  He  argued  if  she  were  not  thick- 
skinned  as  a  rattle-snake  she  would  take  the  hint 


$6  FACE    TO  FACE. 

and  let  him  alone.  But  he  was  determined  that, 
come  what  might,  he  was  not  going  to  be  deprived 
of  the  fresh  air  any  longer  on  her  account.  It  seemed 
to  him  that  the  probabilities  were  she  would  be  more 
discreet  by  broad  daylight,  when  there  were  plent) 
of  her  own  sex  about  with  nothing  to  do  but  watch 
her.  He  perceived,  as  she  passed  out  of  the  saloon, 
that  she  had  taken  in  the  situation,  and  that  it 
seemed  to  amuse  her.  She  did  not  blush,  nor  show 
a  sign  of  confusion.  Very  well,  she  would  find  him 
indifferent  and  hopeless  to  manipulate  as  a  graven 
image. 

For  some  while  after  establishing  himself  on  deck 
he  felt  elated  at  his  cleverness  in  selecting  a  spot  so 
far  distant  from  where  his  enemy  was  sitting,  that 
by  approaching  him  she  could  not  fail  to  attract 
notice.  The  sky,  moreover,  gave  every  indication 
of  a  blow  before  long,  which  he  was  malicious 
enough  to  trust  would  upset  her  for  the  rest  of  the 
voyage.  He  opened  his  newspapers.  There  were 
some  late  American  ones  among  them,  and  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  reading  an  item  to  the  effect  that  a 
manufacturing  stock  of  which  he  had  bought  heavily 
just  before  leaving  home,  because  of  the  company's 
plant  being  in  the  vicinity  of  a  handsome  estate  on 
the  banks  of  the  Hudson  which  was  a  part  of  his  in 
heritance,  had  risen  largely  in  price.  But  he  did  not 
feel  much  like  reading,  in  spite  of  his  apparent  ab 
sorption.  He  would  have  liked,  were  it  consistent 
with  the  total  scorn  he  professed  to  entertain,  to 
look  behind  and  see  what  had  become  of  his  tor- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  57 

mentor.  The  silence  was  ominous.  He  could  ex 
pect  no  such  good  fortune  as  that  she  would  throw 
up  the  sponge  so  early  in  the  contest.  He  hoped 
that  she  was  chagrined  by  his  having  changed  his  seat, 
but  he  well  knew  that  girls  of  her  sort  were  fertile 
in  expedients.  For  he  recalled  that  on  the  occasion 
when  he  had  pretended  to  be  deaf,  the  young  person 
had  got  the  better  of  him  in  the  end.  He  was  on 
the  way  from  Paris  to  Geneva,  and  was  shut  up,  by 
the  maladroitness  of  the  conductor,  in  a  compart 
ment  alone  with  her  instead  of  having  it  alone  to 
himself  as  had  been  the  import  of  his  tip.  Not  five 
minutes  had  elapsed  before  she  told  him  she  was 
from  St.  Louis,  and  had  come  abroad  to  learn  the 
languages  in  order  to  fit  herself  to  conduct  a  school. 
After  the  first  few  sentences  he  had  signified  his  in 
firmity.  It  sufficed  to  keep  the  peace  for  a  while, 
but  at  last,  in  despair,  she  had  made  a  trumpet  of 
her  hands  and,  in  spite  of  his  most  earnest  protesta 
tions,  shouted  at  him  until  he  was  able  to  release 
himself  from  her  society  at  the  next  stopping-place. 
Engrossed  in  this  reminiscence,  Clay  was  not  aware 
of  Evelyn's  approach  until  he  heard  the  sound  made 
by  her  chair  in  being  set  down  within  speaking  dis 
tance  of  his  own.  This  act  of  hardihood  was  almost 
amusing  from  its  effrontery,  but  he  believed  himself 
to  be  very  indignant  and  cast  about  in  the  manner 
already  mentioned  for  some  alternative  of  escape 
other  than  beating  a  total  retreat.  Evelyn  had  been 
correct  in  assuming  that  he  was  very  comfortable, 
and  would  shrink  from  disturbing  himself  as  long  as 


58  FACE   TO  FACE. 

possible.  Perhaps  too,  out  of  a  sneaking  curiosity 
to  see  what  she  would  do,  he  was  not  at  heart  dis 
pleased  to  find  there  was  no  equally  sheltered  spot 
at  hand,  though,  after  discovering  this  to  be  the  case, 
he  satisfied  his  own  dignity  by  deciding  that  it  was 
very  foolish  to  pay  any  attention  to  her.  He  argued 
to  himself  that  she  would  only  feel  flattered  if  he 
were  to  move. 

His  newspapers  ?  An  entering  wedge.  Why 
hadn't  he  had  the  sense  to  put  them  out  of  sight  ? 
He  could  see  no  help  for  it,  he  must  let  her  have 
them.  But  there  he  would  draw  the  line.  Ice  it 
self  should  not  be  more  freezing  than  his  demeanor. 
He  said  to  himself  that  she  did  not  really  wish  to 
look  at  the  newspapers  any  more  than  she  had  really 
cared  for  the  sunset.  There  was,  however,  a  per 
tinacity  about  her  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a 
book  agent,  and  her  intonation  was  decidedly  puz 
zling.  It  was  almost  like  an  English  girl's.  In  jus 
tice  he  must  own  that,  if  he  had  heard  her  voice 
without  seeing  her  in  the  flesh  before  him,  he  might 
have  thought  it  pretty.  But  her  abominable  for 
wardness  was  enough  to  counteract  the  few  points 
in  her  favor.  Decidedly  it  was  a  most  impertinent 
performance,  and,  gruesome  thought !  his  name  was 
on  one  of  the  newspapers.  Ten  chances  to  one  she 
would  address  him  by  it,  and  ask  if  he  were  any  re 
lation  to  some  Harry  Clay  or  George  Clay  in  the 
retail  dry  goods  line  at  Kalamazoo.  Whew  !  The 
only  safe  way  to  cross  the  ocean  was  one's  own 
yacht. 


FACE    TO  FACE.  59 

Ah  •  She  was  thanking  him  now  for  his  news 
papers,  as  though  he  wouldn't  have  been  more 
than  grateful  to  have  her  keep  the  whole  lot  of 
them  and  leave  him  in  peace.  "  Guess," — that  was 
to  be  expected,  and  must  be  put  up  with  like  "  fix ;" 
but  "  real  elegant "  was  enough  to  make  the  flesb 
creep.  Ugh  !  The  use  of  it  ought  to  be  made  an 
offence  punishable  with  fine  or  imprisonment.  And 
she  was  waiting  for  an  answer.  Shades  of  Lindley 
Murray!  No,  no,  this  was  the  limit.  Not  a  sen 
tence,  not  a  syllable  should  she  force  from  his  lips. 
The  situation  was  humiliating  enough  as  it  was 
without  letting  her  have  the  satisfaction  of  a  dia 
logue.  Good  Heavens  !  What  did  she  mean  ?  He 
had  not  spoken.  Not  a  word.  He  was  sure  of 
it.  "  What  say  ?  "  Quintessence  of  vulgar  speech, 
acme  of  plebeian  interrogation  !  He  could  not  bear 
this  a  moment  longer.  He  would  go  below.  Any 
thing  was  better  than  that  she  should  suppose  he 
had  spoken  of  his  free-will.  He  would  make  it 
plain  to  her  that  he  had  not.  There  !  She  must 
comprehend  that  if  she  had  a  vestige  of  pride  left, 
and  now  she  was  welcome  to  the  field. 

Confound  it  !  There  went  his  hat.  The  very 
elements  were  on  her  side.  And  she  had  caught  it, 
and  was  laughing.  The  same  wind,  too,  had  carried 
away  hers,  or  like  enough,  she  had  let  it  go  on  pur 
pose.  Disgusting  situation  !  He  would  have  to  re 
ceive  his  hat  from  her  hands.  If  somebody  would 
only  strip  off  that  ulster  into  the  bargain  she 
would  not  be  a  bad  looking  girl.  Weil,  this  was 


00  FACE   TO  FACE. 

the  depth  of  humiliation.  He  must  be  tolerably 
gracious.  Excitement  was  becoming  to  her.  There 
she  went  after  her  own  hat !  Would  it  do  for  him 
to  stand  by  and  not  lend  a  hand  ?  What  a  nuisance  ! 
But  it  wouldn't  do.  He  must  help  her,  come  of  it 
what  might. 

Quits,  eh  ?  Scarcely.  There  was  a  very  large 
balance  on  her  side,  and  from  the  twinkle  in  her 
eyes  she  must  be  well  aware  of  it  Well,  now  that 
he  had  picked  up  her  hat,  why  didn't  he  make  his 
bow  and  leave  her  ? 

Without  attempting  to  solve  this  question,  Clay 
glanced  about  the  deck  as  though  to  ascertain  if  any 
one  was  observing  them.  The  coast  was  clear.  He 
reflected,  besides,  that  there  wasn't  a  soul  on  board 
he  had  ever  laid  eyes  on  before.  He  thought  it 
might  be  rather  amusing,  just  for  variety,  to  talk  to 
her  a  little.  She  looked  intelligent,  as  well  as  hand 
some  as  a  peach.  Who  would  be  the  wiser  if  he 
did  ?  It  occurred  to  him  that  it  might  be  well  to 
find  out,  once  for  all,  what  such  a  girl  was  like.  It 
might  be  a  long  time  before  he  had  such  another 
opportunity.  She  could  not  make  him  any  more 
uncomfortable  than  she  had  already.  Of  course  she 
was  from  the  West.  He  would  ask  her  if  she  were 
not,  to  begin  with,  as  being  a  question  entirely  in  her 
own  style. 


IV. 

"  TTOW  did  you  find  out?"  repeated  Evelyn. 

1 JL  But  Clay's  delay  in  answering  her  question 
was  not  because  he  needed  further  humoring.  A 
sudden  idea  had  occurred  to  him  which  justified 
completely,  to  his  own  thinking,  the  loss  of  dignity 
involved  in  entering  into  conversation  with  this  ex 
traordinary  young  person.  Why  not  give  her  a 
lesson  in  manners,  and  point  out  to  her,  kindly  but 
unmistakably,  how  she  had  sinned  against  pro 
priety  and  maidenly  reserve  in  her  endeavors  to  at 
tract  his  attention  ?  For,  now  that  he  had  cooled 
down,  pity  was  his  uppermost  feeling — pity  that  a 
girl  with  such  marked  natural  advantages  should 
be  so  ignorant.  He  reflected  that  her  shortcomings 
were  after  all  simply  the  result  of  knowing  no 
better.  It  was  quite  wonderful,  on  the  contrary, 
how  much  she  had  picked  up  in  the  way  of  etiquette. 
Her  figure  was  good.  She  had  tripped  after  her 
hat  as  gracefully  as  if  she  had  been  used  to  a 
drawing-room  all  her  life.  Cavil  as  one  would, 
these  daughters  of  the  soil  were  certainly  very 
adaptive.  He  felt  that  it  would  take  only  a  few 
lessons  to  transform  this  hoyden  into  a  charming 
creation  ;  and  that,  whatever  she  might  feel  at  that 


62  FACE    TO  FACE. 

moment,  she  would  unquestionably  be  grateful  to 
him  hereafter  for  having  opened  her  eyes  to  the 
truth. 

His  aesthetic  instincts  thrilled  at  the  thought,  and 
be  turned  toward  Evelyn  good-humoredly,  waiting 
for  her  to  readjust  her  wraps  and  settle  down  be 
fore  he  spoke.  He  would  break  it  to  her  gently. 

"  It  required  neither  magic  nor  genius,  you  know, 
to  tell  that,"  he  said.  "  I  should  say,  from  your 
general  air,  that  you  were  either  from  Kansas  or  In 
diana.  Possibly  from  Illinois.  You  are  travelling 
alone,  aren't  you  ? " 

"  Yes."      v 

"  I  thought  so.     Been  abroad  studying  ? " 

"  I  have  been  studying  in  England." 

"  Humph  !     Charming  country,  England." 

"  I  don't  like  it  as  well  as  the  United  States 
Were  you  ever  there  ?  " 

"  In  the  States?     Rather." 

"  This  isn't  your  first  visit,  then  ?" 

Clay  stared  at  her  with  surprise.     "  Scarcely." 

"  I  was  beginning  to  think  so,  for  you  seem  to 
have  a  little  more  knowledge  about  them  than  most 
Englishmen." 

"  I  ? " 

"Yes.  You  said  just  now  that  it  was  easy  to  tell 
I  was  from  the  West,  but  no  one  could  doubt  a 
moment  that  you  were  born  in  London." 

Clay  was  silent  a  moment,  and  his  face  flushed. 
Then  he  gave  a  short  laugh.  "  Oh  !  " 

"  I  can't  make  out  whether  you're  a  lord  or  not," 


FACE    TO   FACE.  63 

continued  Evelyn.  "  I  felt  sure  you  were  until  you 
spoke  of  Kansas,  but  there  isn't  one  lord  in  twenty, 
I  guess,  who  knows  where  Kansas  is." 

"  I  see." 

"  But  I'm  inclined  to  think  you  are,  you  look  so 
conscious.  Which  are  you,  an  earl  or  a  baronet  ?  " 

"Aw — aw — neither  exactly,"  he  stammered. 

Confound  this  girl,  was  she  guying  him?  No, 
she  looked  too  serious  for  that.  She  evidently 
really  took  him  for  an.  E-iglishman.  What  a  joke  ! 
It  was  owing  to  the  cut  of  his  clothes,  probablj. 
Very  likely  she  had  never  met  an  American  of  his 
class.  A  lord,  too  !  Not  altogether  unnatural,  poor 
child.  He  would  be  one  if  he  lived  on  the  other  side. 

"Well,  it  doesn't  matter,"  said  Evelyn.  "We 
don't  think  much  of  titles  in  America." 

"  So  I  have  heard.  The  Americans  have  a  great 
many  strange  ideas,  you  know,  and  especially 
American  girls." 

"  Do  you  know  many  American  girls  ? "  she  asked. 

"  I  should  say  so." 

"  Have  you  ever  met  any  jusl  like  me  ?  " 

"  I  can't  say  that  I  have.  That  is,  I  have  never 
had  the  honor  of  an  acquaintance  with  one.  I've 
seen  them  at  a  distance,  though." 

"  And  avoided  them.  That's  what  you  wanted  to 
say,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Have  I  avoided  you  ?  " 

"Ah,  but  you  couldn't  help  yourself.  My  hat 
blew  off." 

"  So  it  did.     Humph  !     And  if  you  will  allow  me 


64  FACE    TO  FACE. 

to  say  so,  you  look  much  better  with  it  off  than  on," 
Clay  added. 

"Why,  what  objections  have  you  to  my  poor 
hat?" 

"To  say  the  least  it  is  very  American,  you  know." 

"  I  should  hope  so.  You  surely  wouldn't  have  me 
wear  one  that  wasn't  ?  Aren't  your  clothes  Eng 
lish?" 

Clay  gave  another  confused  laugh.  "Yes,  they 
are.  But  don't  you  carry  your  patriotism  rather 
far  ? " 

"You  wouldn't  say  so  if  you  were  I.  I  should 
think  anyone  would  be  proud  of  being  an  American." 

Clay  felt  one  of  his  chopped  whiskers  thought 
fully.  The  situation  was  a  trifle  embarrassing.  He 
felt  that  he  couldn't  very  well  undeceive  her  at  this 
point  as  to  his  nationality,  without  laying  himself 
open  to  ridicule.  Nor  did  he  find  it  so  easy  as  he 
had  expected  to  begin  to  point  out  her  shortcomings. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  "  America  is  going  to  be  a 
fine  country." 

"  Going  to  be  ?     Don't  you  think  it  is  already  ?" 

"  From  an  English  point  of  view,  I  should  say  the 
government  of  the  United  States  was  still  an  experi 
ment." 

"  That  is  because  you  do  not  understand  us,"  she 
answered,  with  a  flash  in  her  eyes.  "  Englishmen 
come  to  America  on  purpose  to  pick  flaws  in  it 
You  have  no  sympathy  with  the  purity  and  simplic 
ity  of  its  institutions,  and  with  the  ideas  of  the  great- 
souled  men  and  noble  women  who  compose  its  popu- 


FACE    TO   FACE.  6$ 

lation.  Over  here  everything  tends  to  oppression 
and  self-aggrandizement,  but  under  the  banner  of 
freedom  there  is  happiness  for  all.  Even  the 
beasts  are  free  to  roam  in  peace  over  the  boundless 
prairies." 

"  You  seem,  you  know,  to  have  a  good  many  buf 
faloes  left  in  Kansas,"  said  Clay. 

Was  the  girl  crazy  ?  In  the  genuineness  of  his 
astonishment  he  forgot  to  stick  his  glass  in  his  eye 
as  he  stared  at  her.  Here  was  spread-eagleism  with 
a  vengeance  !  He  had  heard  of  these  wild  enthusi 
asts,  but  this  was  a  touch  beyond  his  expectation. 
And  it  was  clear  she  really  believed  what  she  said. 

"  It  is  not  a  question  of  this  thing  or  of  that,  but 
of  the  spirit  which  animates  the  whole,"  said  Evelyn. 
"  What  the  Old  World  chiefly  cares  for  is  money, 
and  fashion,  and  ceremony,  and  outward  form. 
Across  the  vvater  they  are  seeking  trutn,"  she  said. 

In  spite  o\  the  smile  upon  his  lips,  Clay  could  not 
help  admiring  her  enthusiasm,  which  lent  an  addi 
tional  charm  of  color  to  her  cheeks  and  of  light  to 
her  eyes.  "  A  strange  association  of  talent  and  ig 
norance  !  "  he  thought  to  himself  ;  then  he  replied  : 

"  If  that  is  the  case,  all  I  can  say  is  they  have 
curious  ways  of  showing  it.  Why,  my  dear  young 
lady,  are  you  aware  that,  next  to  London,  New  York 
is  the  great  money  market  of  the  world  ?  There  is 
probably  no  spot  to-day  on  the  civilized  globe  where 
the  race  after  wealth  is  more  fierce  and  absorbing 
than  there.  And  as  for  fashion  and  outward  show, 
it  is  notorious  that  the  private  houses  in  course  of 
5 


"66  FACE    TO  FACE. 

erection  by  those  who  have  accumulated  colossal 
fortunes,  surpass  in  point  of  luxury  and  extrava 
gance  the  so-called  palaces  of  kings." 

"  I  have  never  stayed  in  New  York,"  said  Evelyn, 
quietly.  His  words  did  not  shake  one  jot  her  faith 
in  her  own  opinions,  but  she  had  no  facts  with  which 
to  refute  him.  She  felt  sure  that  he  was  prejudiced 
and  would  represent  everything  in  the  most  unfav 
orable  light. 

"And  yet  that  is  your  most  important  city,  you 
know,"  he  said. 

"  One  of  them,  certainly,"  she  answered. 

"  Humph  !  Interested  as  you  are  in  culture,  per 
haps  you  have  visited  in  Boston,  then  ?  " 

Evelyn  shook  her  head.  This  catechizing  was 
getting  to  be  embarrassing  to  her  in  turn. 

"  Not  even  there  !  Well,  how  about  Washington 
or  Chicago  ? " 

"  Before  leaving  home,  I  had  travelled  scarcely  at 
all  outside  my  native  place,"  she  replied. 

"  I  don't  see,  then,  but  that  your  personal  knowl 
edge  of  your  own  country  is  confined  chiefly  to  the 
prairies  and  a  few  fourth-rate  towns,"  Clay  ob 
served.  "  It  seems  strange,  doesn't  it,  that  although 
Englishmen  are  so  very  ignorant  of  the  United 
States,  I  should  have  been  in  all  those  cities?  I  am 
thoroughly  at  home  in  them  too,  and,  what's  more, 
can  assure  you  that  there  is  very  little  difference  be 
tween  their  manners  and  customs  and  those  of  Lon 
don  and  Paris  and  Vienna.  There  used  to  be  more 
than  there  is  now,  and  it  is  growing  less  every  year. 


FACE    TO   FACE.  6jT 

The  people  of  Boston  and  New  York  are  very  nearly 
as  cultivated  as  those  of  London.  I  dare  say  this 
surprises  you  very  much,  you  know,"  he  added, 
glancing  with  a  triumphant  smile  at  Evelyn.  "You 
will  have  an  opportunity  when  we  arrive  to  judge  of 
the  truth  of  my  statements,  if  you  don't  pass  through 
the  city  in  the  night,  as  you  appear  to  have  done  at 
the  time  you  sailed.  And  if  you  will  allow  me  to 
say  so,  I  think  you  will  find  the  women  of  your  own 
age  somewhat  unlike  the  conception  you  have  evid 
ently  formed  of  them.  Possibly  the  total  dearth  of 
buffaloes  in  the  vicinity  of  Manhattan  explains  why 
it  is  no  longer  considered  good  form  for  a  young 
lady  to  speak  to  a  man  who  has  not  been  introduced 
to  her." 

Clay  flattered  himself  that  he  had  conveyed  this 
reproof  neatly.  He  paused  a  moment  to  see  how 
she  would  take  it,  and  looked  at  her  with  a  good- 
naturedly  patronizing  expression.  She  sat  reclining 
in  her  chair  with  her  arms  folded,  looking  straight 
before  her  over  the  sea,  but  Clay  thought  he  could 
detect  a  faint  flush  of  shame  on  her  cheek.  He  was 
not  half  done  yet,  however.  Now  that  he  had  made 
a  beginning  he  would  hold  up  the  mirror  to  her  and 
let  her  see  herself  as  she  really  was. 

He  stroked  his  chin  in  a  meditative  fashion,  and 
clasping  his  hands  behind  his  head  with  the  manner 
of  one  about  to  air  a  theory,  said  :  "  That  sort  of 
thing,  fortunately,  is  passing  away  in  all  the  civilized 
portions  of  the  United  States.  There  was  some 
thing  a  bit  refreshing,  you  know,  in  the  originality 


68  I- ACE   TO    h'ACE, 

and  independence  of  American  girls  as  at  first  mani 
fested,  but  it  was  speedily  run  into  the  ground.  It 
was  all  very  well  for  them  to  insist  on  having  the 
privilege  of  choosing  their  own  husbands,  instead  of 
being  knocked  down  to  the  highest  bidder,  as  was 
the  custom  in  French  domestic  circles.  No  girl,  of 
course,  should  go  straight  from  the  nursery  to  the 
altar.  But  there's  a  wide  difference  between  such 
a  license  and  the  lawless  notions  that  have  been  de 
duced  from  it.  A  little  while  ago  it  was  quite  the 
custom,  you  know,  for  young  girls  in  the  United 
States  to  take  the  bit  between  their  teeth  and  go 
roaming  wherever  fancy  beckoned  them.  On  the 
plea  of  seeking  for  culture  they  penetrated  into  Eu 
rope,  and  made  the  whole  continent  ring  with  their 
peculiar  theories  of  propriety.  They  trampled  on 
the  precedents  of  ages  with  an  indifference  that 
caused  the  eyes  of  the  well-bred  foreigner  almost  to 
burst  out  of  their  sockets.  It  was  their  theory,  I 
believe,  that  ceremony,  and  courtliness,  and  maid 
enly  reserve  were  so  many  clogs  upon  the  soaring 
spirit,  and  might  be  dispensed  with  ;  and  yet,  while 
they  sighed  fervently  for  the  unattainable,  and  prat 
tled  about  simplicity,  and  freedom,  and  naturalness, 
it  was  noticed  by  their  critics  that  their  voices  were 
pitched  in  a  rasping  key,  and  that  their  speech 
fairly  bristled  with  inelegant  phrases.  The  cause  of 
all  this  was  not  far  to  seek.  Their  parents  having 
made  money  very  rapidly,  were  totally  unfamiliar 
with  the  conditions  of  the  walk  of  life  into  which 
they  found  themselves  suddenly  raised,  and  became 


FACE    TO  FACE.  69 

mere  wax  in  the  hands  of  their  daughters.  But 
all  lovers  of  good  taste  are  rejoicing  that  this  phase 
of  affairs  is  rapidly  on  the  wane  under  the  influence 
of  the  increased  luxury  and  conservatism  of  the 
well-to-do  classes  in  America,  and  only  the  lately 
and  less  thickly  settled  portions  of  the  country 
longer  produce  such  anomalous  and  misguided, 
though  often  beautiful,  specimens  of  the  gentler 
sex.  Daisy  Miller  is  becoming  a  type  of  the  past, 
except  in  a  very  secondary  sense." 

Evelyn  had  listened  to  his  recital  in  perfect 
silence,  but  as  he  paused,  apparently  in  conclusion, 
she  turned  to  him  and  said,  simply : 

"  Have  you  finished  ?" 

"Well— aw — yes.  I  don't  think  of  anything  else, 
except  I  hope  I  haven't  said  anything  out  of  the 
way,  you  know." 

She  gave  a  little  laugh.  "  If  you  mean  whether 
I  am  offended,  I  am  not  in  the  least.  We  expect  to 
be  criticised  by  you  English.  You  don't  understand 
us  at  all.  I  am  doubly  confident  of  it  after  having 
heard  what  you  have  said.  You  want  to  try  to  per 
suade  me  that  we  are  getting  to  be  just  like  all  the 
rest  of  the  world.  I  dare  say  now,  you  would  go  so 
far  as  to  claim  that  some  of  the  model  young  ladies 
you  have  spoken  of  are  in  the  habit  of  title-hunting 
— hunting  after  your  title,  for  instance — as  they  are 
in  London." 

"You  would  not  believe  me  if  I  did." 

"  Exactly  as  much  as  I  believe  the  other  things 
you  have  said." 


7O  FACE   TO  FACE. 

"  Including,  I  suppose,  my  remark  regarding  the 
custom  of  young  ladies  speaking  to  persons  who 
have  not  been  introduced  to  them  ? "  said  Clay. 

Evelyn  gave  another  little  laugh  and  was  silent  a 
moment.  "  I  understood  you  perfectly  well  the  first 
time  you  said  that.  I  guess  I  was  trying  to  shock 
you  a  little." 

"Well,  to  be  perfectly  frank,  you  succeeded." 

'"  You  were  sure  to  disapprove  of  me  at  any  rate, 
so  I  thought  it  was  just  as  well  you  should  have 
some  cause.  I  judged  from  your  appearance  that 
you  probably  had  never  met  an  American  girl," 
she  said. 

"You  admit,  then — 

"  I  admit  nothing." 

"  That  was  the  reason,  was  it,  why  you  followed 
me  out  to  the  end  of  the  ship,  where  I  had  gone  to 
look  at  the  sunset  ? " 

"I  wanted  to  look  at  the  sunset  too." 

"  Pshaw ! " 

"  I  may  have  a  rasping  voice,"  exclaimed  Evelyn, 
"  but  please  give  me  credit  for  appreciating  the  beau 
ties  of  nature.  Besides,  she  is  always  in  good  taste  ; 
I  might  be  able  to  learn  from  her." 

"  There  is  something  in  that,"  he  said,  with  a 
laugh.  "  I  fancy  you  think  I  have  been  rather  im 
pertinent.  Perhaps  I  have.  But  then  you  would 
give  me  no  rest  until  you  had  scraped  acquaintance 
with  me." 

"  Is  this  an  acquaintance  ?  It  seems  to  me,  your 
lordship,  that  it  is  all  on  one  side,  then.  I  know  your 


FACE    TO  FACE.  7 1 

name  at  least,  but  I  assure  you  that  you  know  noth 
ing  whatever  about  me,  less  even  than  you  do  about 
most  American  girls." 

"  Are  there  sphinxes  in  Kansas  as  well  as  buf 
faloes  ?  "  asked  Clay,  derisively. 

"  So  it  seems.  There  is  one  thing  on  my  con 
science,  however  ;  your  lordship  changed  his  seat  at 
table  on  my  account." 

"Is  this  a  ruse  to  win  me  back  ?" 

"  By  no  means,  unless  you  promise  not  to  stare  at 
me  through  that  funny  little  glass,"  said  Evelyn. 
"  Did  you  ever  chance  t  J  stare  at  yourself  in  the 
mirror  ?  No  ?  Well,  you  certainly  never  should  un 
less  you  wish  to  be  chilled  to  the  bone.  I  assure 
you,  a  polar  bear  would  be  nothing  to  it  for  frigidity. 
But  let  that  pass.  It's  a  very  poor  return  for  all  the 
hints  you  have  given  me.  I  shall  try  to  profit  by 
them.  Only,  as  I  said  before,  you  must  not  be  too 
confident  of  having  fathomed  the  character  of  the 
American  girl,  or  that  she  has  become  a  mere  ser 
vile  imitator  of  her  sex  elsewhere.  That  is  what 
you  would  like  her  to  become,  I  know.  Provided 
she  could  be  brought  to  regard  petty  convention 
alities  and  forms  as  the  guiding  principle  of  her  being, 
you  would  condescend  perhaps  to  admire  her.  You 
would  do  her  the  favor  to  permit  her  to  choose  her 
own  husband,  but  you  would  sink  her  will  and  in 
dependence  of  thought  in  his,  giving  her  fashion  as 
a  petty  tinsel  makeshift  upon  which  to  expend  her 
surplus  energy.  You  would  have  her  fall  down  and 
worship  the  golden  calf  of  Mammon,  preferring 


72  FACE   7'O  I'' ACE. 

flattery  and  pride  of  place,  and  greed  of  great  ao 
cumulations,  to  hatred  of  falsehood  and  the  unmask- 
ing  of  error.  The  world  has  got  beyond  the  stage 
when  hungry  souls  will  be  satisfied  with  such  un 
substantial  fare  as  this,  and  it  is  in  America  that 
the  revolt  has  its  leading  supporters  among  women 
as  well  as  men.  But  adherents  to  the  fusty  de 
lusions  of  a  decaying  past  cry  out  because  those 
whose  eyes  are  fixed  on  the  mountain-tops  disre 
gard  the  decorum  of  the  valley.  You  laugh  at  our 
shrill  voices,  our  startling  costumes,  our  lack  of 
maidenly  reserve.  You  are  welcome  to  do  that, 
only,  on  the  other  hand,  do  not  wrong  such  of  us  as 
have  ceased  to  excite  your  derision  in  this  respect, 
by  supposing  our  souls  to  have  lost  the  yearning 
after  truth  which  was  the  very  fountain  of  our  faith. 
Is  it  possible,"  she  added,  raising  herself  in  her  chair 
in  the  vehemence  of  her  interest,  "  possible  you  be 
lieve  that  the  great  Republic  of  free  men  and  women 
over  there  is  to  become  nothing  but  a  gorgeous  re 
flection  of  the  virtues  and  vices  of  an  outworn  hem 
isphere  ?  You  seem  to  forget  the  world  has  opened 
its  eyes  at  last  to  the  fact  that  the  rights  and  suffer 
ings  of  common  humanity  have  a  greater  claim  on 
its  consideration  than  the  prerogatives  of  kings. 
How  shall  I  and  my  brother  man  live  more  happily, 
more  wisely,  more  truly,  is  the  heart  whisper  of 
millions  to-day  who  never  saw  the  'peerage'  and 
have  no  ideas  of  precedence.  To  this  end  all  ear 
nest  men  and  women  are  devoting  the  energies  of 
life.  And  yet  you  would  persuade  me  that  this  is 


FACE    TO   FACE.  73 

but  a  phase  soon  to  be,  if  not  already,  lulled  to  sleep 
by  the  twin  narcotics,  luxury  and  conservatism." 

She  paused,  and  for  some  moments  neither  spoke, 
then  Clay  responded,  "You  don't  know  how  hand 
some  you  looked  when  you  said  that.  Humph  !  If 
there  were  more  American  girls  who  thought  as 
you  do,  there  is  no  telling  what  might  happen." 

"Ah,  but  you  do  not  know  them,  you  don't  un 
derstand  them,"  said  Evelyn. 

He  gazed  in  genuine  admiration  at  her.  Posi 
tively,  her  enthusiasm  was  infectious.  "  Perhaps  I 
don't,"  he  said,  quietly. 

The  luncheon  bell  put  an  end  to  their  conversa 
tion,  and  in  the  afternoon  Evelyn  did  not  appear 
on  deck.  Nor  was  she  in  her  seat  when  the  dinner 
hour  arrived,  as  Clay  was  quick  to  ascertain  upon 
entering  the  saloon.  Now  that  the  ice  was  broken, 
he  felt  lonely  for  lack  of  her  society,  and  he  had 
more  keenly  than  ever  realized,  while  pacing  the 
deck  in  anticipation  of  her  return,  what  an  uninter 
esting  set  were  the  rest  of  his  fellow  voyagers.  But 
his  eyes  were  not  gladdened  with  a  glimpse  of  her 
even  when  the  day  had  faded  into  evening  and  the 
stars  shone  bright  above  the  strong  north  wind,  which 
sweeping  every  cloud  from  the  sky,  was  already  a 
gale.  Clay  drew  up  his  ulster  about  his  ears  and 
restlessly  promenaded  the  deck  for  hours,  varying 
the  monotony  of  his  vigil  with  a  pipe,  every  now 
and  then,  under  the  lee  of  the  smoke-stack.  There 
was  something  in  the  night  that  harmonized  with 
his  own  mood,  and  as  the  reeling  masts  described 


74  FACE    TO   FACE. 

wider  and  wider  courses  with  the  increased  tension 
of  each  succeeding  pitch  of  the  huge  vessel,  he  fol 
lowed  them  with  the  straining  eyes  of  one  whose 
soul  frets  in  its  prison  house.  Soon  he  was  left 
quite  alone.  The  shrouds  creaked  and  groaned. 
Brighter  shone  the  stars,  and  a  late  moon  set  its 
waning  imprint  on  the  heavens.  Big  waves  slapped 
the  bow  or  scattered  above  it  in  salt  spray.  At 
last,  as  the  bells  struck  midnight  and  the  voice  of 
the  watch  answered  that  all  was  well,  Clay  sighed 
once  or  twice,  and  knocking  the  ashes  out  of  his 
pipe,  went  below. 

Far  otherwise  was  it  with  Evelyn.  The  idea  of 
being  a  poor  sailor  had  never  occurred  to  her,  which 
made  her  misery  all  the  greater  as  she  began  to  real 
ize,  soon  after  lunch,  that  the  motion  of  the  ship 
was  making  her  feel  very  queer.  By  dinner  time 
she  was  completely  wretched,  and  during  the  next 
three  or  four  days  she  could  not  lift  her  head  from 
her  pillow  without  discomfort.  Gale  succeeded  gale, 
and  though  the  stewardess  assured  her  that  there 
was  not  the  slightest  danger,  she  felt  sorry  to  hear 
it.  The  prospect  of  going  to  the  bottom  seemed 
blissful  compared  with  that  of  further  suffering. 

Thought  wearied  her,  and  the  voyage  was  nearly 
at  an  end  before  she  took  sufficient  interest  in  exist 
ence  to  recall  the  episode  of  the  first  day  out.  But 
one  morning,  as  she  lay  in  her  berth  a  little  less 
wretched  than  hitherto,  it  all  came  back  to  her,  and 
she  began  wondering  how  Clay  was  getting  on. 
What  he  had  said  regarding  the  United  States  was 


FACE   TO   FACE.  75 

Distinct  in  her  mind,  but  so  certain  did  she  feel  as  to 
the  accuracy  of  her  own  conception,  that  she  was 
unwilling  to  countenance  his  statements  for  a  mo 
ment.  Still,  he  had  evidently  been  in  the  country, 
and  he  seemed  to  have  travelled  widely.  As  she 
thought  their  conversation  over,  she  *vas  conscious 
of  surprise  that  one  of  her  countrymen  should  have 
unbent  himself  sufficiently  to  take  her  to  task  for 
her  shortcomings.  The  idea  amused  her.  It  had 
been  a  completely  unexpected  form  of  attack.  She 
had  looked  forward  to  a  very  up-hill  dialogue,  if  in 
deed  her  victim  would  condescend  to  talk  at  all. 
But  his  fluency  and  audacity  had  disconcerted  her 
at  first  and  then  excited  her  interest.  What  a  joke 
it  was  to  be  really  mistaken  for  an  American  girl  ! 
For  there  was  no  doubt  that  he  believed  she  was 
born  in  Kansas.  She  wondered  that  she  had  not 
betrayed  herself  when,  under  the  influence  of  her 
excitement,  she  had  forgotten  during  the  latter  por 
tion  of  their  interview  to  use  typical  expressions.  But 
she  was  confident  that  he  had  never  suspected  her. 

As  so  often  happens  to  all  of  us  when  we  are 
thinking  of  a  person,  she  suddenly  heard  Clay's  voice 
in  the  passage  outside.  He  was  giving  directions 
to  one  of  the  stewards  to  have  his  breakfast  ready 
in  half  an  hour.  He  was  evidently  on  the  way  to 
his  bath.  Her  own  stewardess  happened  to  be  pass 
ing  at  the  moment  with  some  tea  and  toast,  and 
Evelyn  heard  her  bid  Clay  an  obsequious  good 
morning. 

"  It  requires  old  mariners  like  you  and  me,  Mrs. 


76  FACE   TO  FACE. 

Johnson,  to  be  able  to  keep  our  sea-legs  this  trip," 
he  said,  as  the  ship  gave  a  lurch  which  caused  all 
the  crockery  on  board  to  rattle. 

"  Indeed  it  does,  Mr.  Clay,  sir,"  she  paused  to  an 
swer. 

A  few  minutes  later  Evelyn,  feeling  peaceful  after 
some  hot  tea,  and  rather  inclined  toward  conversa 
tion,  said  abruptly  to  Mrs.  Johnson,  who  had  re 
mained  to  tidy  the  stateroom  a  little. 

"  Who  was  that  y.ou  were  speaking  to  just  now, 
who  was  boasting  about  his  sea-legs  ?  " 

"That  was  Mr.  Clay,  miss.  He's  an  American 
gentleman  who  crosses  every  summer  with  us.  He 
says  he  wouldn't  go  by  any  other  ship." 

Feeble  as  she  was,  Evelyn  sat  bolt  upright  in  bed. 
"  An  American  gentleman  ?  " 

"  Yes,  miss,  and  the  most  perfect  gentleman  I 
ever  see.  It's  my  husband  who  waits  on  him,  and 
from  most  passengers  he  gets  ten  shillings,  but  Mr. 
Clay  always  makes  it  a  sovereign." 

"  But  you're  sure  he's  an  American  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  He  lives  in  New  York,  and  I've  heard 
say  he  is  very  wealthy.  Perhaps,  now,  you're  an 
American  yourself,  miss,  if  I'm  not  too  bold  ? " 

"  Yes — that  is  no.  I'm  going  there  for  a  visit.  My 
home  is  in  England." 

"Thank  you,  miss.  I  couldn't  quite  make  out, 
seeing  that  you  were  travelling  alone  ;  but  I  said  to 
myself,  'she's  English  spoken  or  I'm  very  much  mis 
taken.'  Some  of  them  American  ladies  think  noth 
ing  of  going  about  all  by  themselves,  but  though 


FACE   TO  FACE.  77 

they  do  mostly  talk  through  their  noses,  miss, 
they're  liberal  with  their  money,  and  don't  give 
much  trouble,  whatever  folks  say  about  their  strange 
doings  on  deck,  which  ain't  for  the  like  of  me  to  give 
an  opinion  on,  seeing  that  it's  much  as  ever  if  I  get 
a  chance  to  breathe  the  iresh  air  from  one  end  of  a 
voyage  to  another.  But  I  ain't  complaining,  miss. 
Is  there  anything  more  I  can  do  to  make  you  com 
fortable  before  I  go  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  thank  you,"  said  Evelyn.  She  had  fallen 
back  on  her  pillow,  bewildered  and  aghast  at  what 
her  garrulous  attendant  had  told  her.  So  there  had 
been  deceit  on  both  sides  !  He  had  been  cajoling 
her  as  well  as  she  him.  He  was  an  American, 
after  all.  But  to  think  of  his  having  depreciated 
his  own  country !  She  felt  sure  that  no  English 
man,  however  stiff  and  narrow-minded,  could  have 
been  capable  of  such  a  thing.  There  could  be  no 
question  that  it  was  he  to  whom  the  stewardess  re 
ferred,  for  Mrs.  Johnson  had  mentioned  his  name,  and 
she  herself  was  sure  of  the  voice.  Could  it  be,  then, 
that  the  pictures  he  had  drawn  were  true?  If  he 
was  a  sample  of  the  men  of  the  new  world,  surely 
her  imagination  had  led  her  very  far  astray.  Eng 
lish  clothes,  too  !  He  had  admitted  it  to  her,  she  re 
membered,  and  indeed  his  whole  appearance,  now 
that  she  knew  the  truth,  betrayed  the  desire  to 
mimic  the  dress  and  manners  of  London.  What  a 
senseless,  contemptibly  ambition  !  She  felt  as  if  she 
could  fairly  cry.  If  this  was  the  style  in  which  her 
long-cherished  dreams  were  to  be  realized,  would 


78  FACE    TO  FACE. 

that  she  had  stayed  at  home  !  No,  no,  it  was  not 
possible.  This  unpatriotic  youth  must  be  some 
anomaly,  some  monstrosity  whom  she  had  come 
across  by  chance.  This  seemed  to  her  really  more 
likely  than  that  the  young  men  of  what  she  had 
fondly  believed  to  be  the  greatest  country  on  earth 
should  be  anxious  to  conceal  their  nationality. 

As  she  debated  with  herself  the  various  aspects 
of  the  question,  she  tried  to  find  consolation  in  this 
theory,  but  she  burned  with  impatience  to  set  foot 
on  shore  and  discover  the  real  truth.  Resolved  as 
she  was,  however,  not  to  harbor  a  doubt  to  imperil 
her  confidence  in  her  preconceived  ideas,  the  remain 
ing  days  of  the  voyage  were  tedious  and  irritating. 
The  sea  continued  rough  and  her  wretched  physical 
sensations  were  rampant.  In  fact,  it  was  not  until 
land  was  in  sight  that  she  was  able  to  leave  her  berth. 

The  thought  passed  through  her  mind,  as  she  was 
dressing  to  go  on  shore,  that  it  might  be  more  pru 
dent,  in  consideration  of  Mr.  Clay's  remarks,  to 
wear  some  other  costume  in  which  to  appear  for  the 
first  time  before  her  relatives  ;  but  she  dismissed  it 
with  wrath.  She  said  to  herself  that  she  would  not 
let  the  innuendoes  of  that  foppish  apostate,  who  was 
willing  to  be  mistaken  for  a  lord,  influence  her  in 
the  slightest  degree.  What  a  pity,  though,  he  wa< 
such  a  goose,  for  he  had  amused  her  before  sha 
knew  of  his  affectations,  and  she  had  been  disposed 
to  think  him  clever.  Now  she  felt  as  if  she  never 
wished  to  set  eyes  on  him  again. 

Meanwhile  the  subject  of  these  unflattering  senti- 


FACE   TO  FACE.  7f 

ments  had  found  the  remainder  of  the  voyage  dull 
and  uneventful.  But  although  he  was  still  con 
scious  of  having  recently  passed  through  an  unusual 
experience,  he  had  ceased  to  concern  himself  about 
it.  Such  is  the  force  of  time  and  habit  to  reduce 
to  an  everyday  level  an  exalted  state  of  mind  when 
the  animating  cause  is  no  longer  present.  Little  by 
little,  the  somewhat  earnest  and  speculative  expres 
sion  that  his  face  had  worn  for  twenty-four  hours  after 
Evelyn's  disappearance,  faded  away  and  the  previ 
ous  air  of  haughty  reserve  settled  upon  his  features, 
even  as  a  mountain  peak  looks  rosy  and  winning 
while  the  light  of  the  sun  which  has  just  sunk  belovr 
the  horizon  continues  to  rest  upon  it,  and  then  grows 
cold  and  distant.  He  still  walked  the  deck,  how 
ever,  far  into  the  night,  and  he  made  no  new  ac 
quaintances. 

Although  Evelyn,  with  some  premeditation,  re- 
emerged  from  her  stateroom  several  hours  before 
the  time  when  they  were  expected  to  arrive,  she 
saw  no  trace  of  her  former  adversary  either  in  the 
saloon  or  up-stairs.  As  is  the  wont  just  previous  to 
the  close  of  a  voyage,  almost  all  the  passengers  were 
on  deck,  dressed  with  a  view  to  being  on  shore 
again,  and  were  counting  the  minutes  still  to  elapse 
before  they  could  hope  to  land.  A  change  of  garb 
had  on  the  whole  rather  improved  the  appearance 
of  the  passengers,  and  as  Evelyn  glanced  around 
her,  she  could  not  help  feeling  sorry  that  she  had  not 
been  able  to  form  the  acquaintance  of  some  of  them. 
She  was  sure  that  there  must  be  many  Americans 


8O  FACE   TO  FACE. 

among  the  number  who  would  have  confirmed  her 
own  impressions  regarding  their  native  country,  in 
stead  of  harassing  her  with  disagreeable  doubts  as  to 
whether  the  boasted  superiority  of  democratic  in 
stitutions  might  not  after  all  be  a  delusion.  But  it 
was  too  late  for  anything  of  the  sort  now.  Every 
one  was  self-absorbed.  Indeed,  a  constant  witness 
of  the  intercourse  during  the  voyage  of  those  on 
board  would  have  been  struck  by  the  suddenness 
with  which  the  most  ardent  intimacies  had  cooled 
at  sight  of  land.  The  seemingly  bosom  friends  of 
yesterday  had  become  almost  strangers  again. 

Little  by  little  the  coast  took  definite  shape,  and 
before  long  Evelyn  found  herself  gliding  past  large 
settlements  and  protecting  fortresses,  and  all  man 
ner  of  crafts.  So  swiftly  were  these  left  behind  that 
she  felt  dazed  and  preferred  to  make  no  effort  to 
adjust  them  to  her  theory,  knowing  that  she  must 
soon  learn  the  truth.  She  heard  some  one  say  that 
the  murky  cloud  still  far  away  was  New  York,  and 
with  feverish  impatience  she  watched  it  give  place 
to  a  vast  metropolis  stretching  beyond  the  sight, 
while  on  her  right  hand  rose  the  heights  of  another 
city  which  the  passengers  near  her  spoke  of  as 
Brooklyn.  The  spectacle  was  picturesque  and  ab 
sorbing  at  least,  and  she  reflected  that,  whatever 
surprises  might  be  in  store  for  her,  great  progress 
had  been  made,  either  for  good  or  for  evil,  in  this 
new  land  of  liberty.  The  huge  warehouses,  the  army 
of  masts  in  the  docks,  the  river  bustling  with  tugs 
and  harbor  steamers  all  shrieking  at  the  same  mo- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  8 1 

ment,  and  the  tops  of  imposing  buildings  towering 
abore  the  common  roofs,  stirred  her  senses  and  ex 
cited  her.  How  slowly  the  vessel  was  moving  now  ! 
Were  they  never  to  land  ? 

So  absorbed  was  she  in  her  surroundings  outside 
the  ship,  she  had  quite  forgotten  for  the  r'uie  Mr. 
Clay's  existence,  when,  happening  to  glance  to  one 
side,  she  became  aware  that  he  was  standing  some 
fifty  yards  off  with  his  profile  turned  in  her  direc 
tion.  He  wore  a  tall  hat,  carried  a  silk-lined  over 
coat  across  his  arm,  and  had  in  one  hand  a  neatly- 
itrapped  bundle  of  umbrellas  and  canes,  the  heads 
of  which  were  of  various  quaint  designs.  He  was 
speaking  to  nobody,  and  seemed  to  take  little  inter 
est  in  the  outlook,  shifting  every  now  and  then  his 
weight  from  one  foot  to  the  other  as  though  it  were 
all  a  rery  old  story.  While  Evelyn  was  still  looking 
at  him  he  altered  his  pose  slightly,  and  their  eyes 
met  She  felt  the  blood  mounting  to  her  cheeks, 
for  though  he  bent  his  gaze  on  her  for  a  moment, 
he  showed  no  sign  of  recognition.  His  stare  was  as 
frostily  scrutinizing  as  on  the  day  when  he  had  seen 
her  first.  Her  own  expression,  which  had  been  con 
ciliatory,  perhaps,  in  spite  of  what  she  knew  regard 
ing  him,  might  have  betrayed  her  annoyance  had  he 
not  looked  away  almost  immediately.  She  gave  a 
gulp  and  swallowed  her  resentment,  but  she  was 
conscious  instinctively  of  being  a  little  humiliated^ 
for  she  understood  that  he  was  afraid  of  continuing 
his  acquaintance  with  her  on  shore.  It  was  evident 
he  considered  her  as  compromising. 


82  FACE    TO  FACE. 

She  felt  angry  at  her  weakness.  Why  should  she 
care  what  he  thought  of  her,  or  concern  herself 
about  the  effect  of  her  costume  because  he  had  seen 
fit  to  criticise  it  ?  Had  she  not  independence 
enough  to  be  indifferent  to  the  opinions  of  a  man 
who  was  evidently  hostile  to  the  very  ideas  and 
principles  she  was  eager  to  espouse  ?  And  yet  she 
hated  to  believe  that  he  was  an  American.  Could 
it  really  be  true  ? 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  the  steamef 
reached  the  pier.  After  some  little  suspense  Eve 
lyn  caught  a  glimpse  of  her  cousin  among  the 
crowd,  and  fifteen  minutes  later  she  was  being  rat 
tled  over  the  city  pavements.  She  had  lost  sight  of 
her  disagreeable  censor  in  the  general  commotioo 
of  landing. 


V. 


ILLOUGHBY  PIMLICO  explained  forthwith 
VV  to  his  cousin,  that  his  town  house  was  closed, 
and  that  they  were  about  to  take  the  Fall  River 
boat  to  Newport,  where  he  and  his  wife  were  pass 
ing  the  summer.  They  had  only  to  drive  a  short 
distance.  But  the  street  was  so  crowded  with  bust 
ling  teams  that  there  was  only  a  minute  to  spare 
when  they  reached  the  other  steamer.  He  asked 
Evelyn  a  few  questions  about  her  family,  and  then 
began  to  point  out  to  her  the  objects  of  interest  in 
the  city,  along  the  water  front  of  which  their  course 
lay  until  nearly  dark.  He  told  her  the  names  of  the 
buildings,  whose  proportions  had  struck  her  eye 
earlier  in  the  day,  distinguished  the  spires  of  the 
churches  and  the  groups  of  charitable  institutions 
past  which  they  presently  sailed,  and  described  to 
her  the  whereabouts  and  character  of  the  various 
popular  resorts  in  the  neighborhood,  indicated  by 
the  variety  of  densely  packed  harbor  steamers  and 
barges  on  the  river.  He  repeated  to  her  statistics 
of  population,  and  dwelt  on  the  number  of  emi 
grants  that  were  weekly  arriving.  After  this  he 
tooK  out  an  evening  paper  and  began  to  read. 

Evelyn  had  asked  few  questions.     She  had  been 


84  FACE    TO   FACE. 

content  to  listen.  She  was  resolved  to  take  things 
as  they  were  and  suspend  her  judgment  for  the 
present.  But,  different  as  her  first  impressions  were 
from  what  she  had  anticipated,  she  found  that  some 
how  this  practical  side  of  life  appealed  to  her  in  a 
way  it  had  never  done  before,  and  seemed  to  blend 
itself  satisfactorily  with  her  theories  and  visions. 
The  energy  and  enterprise  observable  in  every  di 
rection,  which  were  reflected  in  the  faces  of  the  peo 
ple  about  her,  stirred  her  as  never  elsewhere.  She 
could  perceive  that  she  had  taken  too  little  into 
account  in  her  preconceptions  of  the  material  aspect 
of  affairs,  but  she  felt  that  there  was  nothing  really 
inconsistent  with  her  imaginings  in  the  restless 
civilization  of  which  she  was  now  a  witness.  In 
deed,  her  faith  was  reassured,  and  she  was  happier 
than  she  had  been  since  leaving  England. 

The  coast  grew  dim  again,  and  the  twilight  closed 
in  about  them,  and  Willoughby  Pimlico  laid  aside 
his  paper  at  the  sound  of  a  gong,  which  he  informed 
his  charge  was  the  signal  for  dinner.  She  was  so 
comfortable  where  she  was,  and  the  soft,  half  moist 
atmosphere  was  so  restful,  that  she  would  have  pre 
ferred  not  to  eat  ;  but  she  gathered  from  the  look 
of  her  cousin's  eye  that  he  was  hungry.  Conse 
quently  she  satisfied,  instead,  her  curiosity  regard 
ing  a  point  which  had  occurred  to  her  as  she  sat 
gazing  over  the  calm  surface,  so  different  from  the 
•cean  as  she  had  lately  experienced  it. 

"  Shall  we  see  the  prairies  to-night  ? "  she  inquired. 

Willeughby  laughed  loud  and  long.     "  Why,  my 


FACE    TO  FACE.  8 5 

dear  child,  the  nearest  prairie  is  more  than  a  thou 
sand  miles  from  here.  Did  you  think  I  was  a  back 
woodsman  or  the  proprietor  of  a  cattle  ranch  ?" 

He  seemed  to  think  it  an  excellent  joke,  and 
rallied  her  on  it  through  dinner.  He  ordered  a  bot 
tle  of  champagne,  just  as  Mr.  Brock  had  done,  and 
gave  Evelyn  a  thrilling  account  of  his  experiences 
with  grizzly  bears  and  other  big  game  in  the  Far 
West  just  after  he  first  came  to  America.  He  went 
on  to  tell  her  that  he  had  established  a  farm  about 
twenty  miles  from  New  York,  where  he  bred  horses 
and  fox  terriers,  and  that  he  had  personally  driven 
a  coach,  "  for  the  fun  of  the  thing,"  to  and  from  one 
of  the  favorite  suburbs  during  several  seasons. 

"And  so  Margaret  is  to  be  married? "he  said, 
after  a  pause,  when  he  had  come  to  the  end  of  his 
sporting  record.  "  It  is  your  turn  next.  We  must 
try  and  find  some  young  fellow  rich  and  charming 
enough  to  induce  you  to  remain  here  indefinitely. 
Your  cousin  Clara  is  very  impatient  to  see  you. 
She  has  an  idea  that  you  may  find  Newport  dull, 
and  is  planning  all  sorts  of  gaiety  on  your  account, 
;ib  though  there  wasn't  enough  as  it  is." 

Evelyn  felt  her  heart  sink  within  her  at  this  in 
formation.  One  of  her  reasons  for  leaving  home 
was  that  she  might  avoid  the  frivolities  of  a  London 
season,  and  apparently  she  had  not  bettered  her 
condition.  Still  it  was  rather  a  relief  to  know  that 
she  had  the  necessary  dresses  with  her.  Only  at 
the  last  moment  her  mother  had  insisted  on  her 
bringing  party  gowns,  observing  that  the  chances 


86  FACji   TO   FACE. 

were  twenty  to  one  she  would  never  use  them,  but 
it  was  more  prudent  to  be  on  the  safe  side. 

She  went  to  her  stateroom  after  dinner,  at  her 
cousin's  suggestion,  and  did  not  awake  until  their 
arrival  at  Newport.  It  was  a  glorious  night,  and 
the  full  moon  made  the  harnesses  of  the  handsome 
equipage  waiting  for  them  at  the  wharf  shine  gor 
geously.  At  first  they  ascended  the  steep,  crooked 
and  narrow  street  of  what  seemed  to  her  a  fishing- 
Tillage.  Then  the  road  became  wider  and  straighter, 
and  she  caught  a  glimpse  in  passing  of  one  or  two 
hotels  and  of  tasteful  villas,  many  of  the  latter  set 
back  from  the  street  and  peeping  out  from  behind 
the  seclusion  of  foliage.  The  air  was  soft,  and  the 
smell  of  the  sea-breeze  laden  with  the  perfume  of 
flowers  and  shrubs  came  in  at  the  carriage  window. 

At  last  the  horses  turned  sharply,  and  after  a  short 
course  over  a  gravel  driveway,  stopped  before  the 
door  of  a  large,  newly-built  cottage,  from  which  a 
smooth,  broad  lawn  ran  down  to  high  cliffs  above 
the  ocean. 

"Welcome  to  Littlecourt,  Evelyn,"  said  Wil- 
loughby  ;  "and  this  is  your  cousin  Clara,"  he  con 
tinued,  as  a  tall,  graceful  woman  in  full  ball  dress 
came  out  into  the  hall  to  meet  them. 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,"  said  Mrs.  Pimlico 
as  she  kissed  her  relative  with  cordiality.  "  Wasn't 
it  fortunate  you  were  in  time  for  the  boat,"  she 
added,  turning  to  her  husband ;  "  for  otherwise 
Evelyn  would  have  missed  the  Deckers'  ?" 

They  went  immediately  to  the  dining-room,  where 


FACE    TO  FACE.  87 

a  choice  hot  supper  was  served  under  French  des 
ignations. 

"  I  had  hoped  to  have  some  Blue  Points  for  you, 
knowing  that  they  would  be  a  treat,"  said  Mrs. 
Willoughby,  "  but  they  are  wholesome  only  during 
the  months  which  contain  an  r.  And  how  are  all 
your  sisters  ?  " 

"  Very  well,  cousin  Clara.  They  sent  you  their 
loves." 

"You  must  return  mine  when  you  write.  The 
lady  at  whose  house  I  have  been  this  evening,  Mrs. 
Clay,  who  has  lived  very  much  abroad  since  her 
husband's  death — a  charming  entertainment,  by  the 
way,  and  one  that  I  am  sorry  to  have  had  you  miss 
— tells  me  that  she  saw  your  sister,  the  Countess  of 
Harleth,  at  a  drawing-room  last  year.  You  look 
like  the  photograph  I  have  of  her.  It  must  be  de 
lightful  to  attend  the  court  balls.  I  am  wild  to 
have  Willoughby  take  me  over  and  present  me. 
You  have  been  presented,  of  course  ? " 

"No,"  said  Evelyn.  "  I  never  have.  I  have  only 
just  graduated  from  Girton." 

"Oh,"  she  said,  a  little  doubtfully. 

"That  is  a  female  college,  dear,  something  like 
our  Vassar,"  said  Willoughby,  who  had  a  sense  of 
humor. 

"Really?"  For  an  instant  an  alarmed  expres 
sion  came  over  Mrs.  Pimlico's  face,  and  she  stole 
another  glance  at  her  guest,  whose  hat  and  ulster 
had  struck  her  eye  at  once.  But  it  had  never  oc 
curred  to  her  to  doubt  their  conformity  to  the 


88  FACE   TO  FACE. 

reigning  fashion  of  St.  James's.  Indeed,  she  had 
made  a  mental  resolve  to  send  by  the  next  mail  for 
their  counterparts.  But  now  a  dreadful  suspicion 
haunted  her.  Yet  only  for  a  moment  5he  had 
such  implicit  faith  in  the  Pimlicos  as  a  race,  that 
she  would  have  said  it  were  easier  for  her  to  doubt 
the  authenticity  of  the  Tower  of  London,  than  to 
call  in  question  the  strict  conventionality  of  any  of 
them. 

"  Is  Vassar  near  here?"  asked  Evelyn.  She  had 
come  across  it  often  in  her  reading,  and  heard  it 
spoken  of  at  her  own  college. 

"  Only  a  few  hundred  miles  off,"  laughed  her 
cousin  Willoughby.  "If  you  believe  it,  my  dear, 
Evelyn  thought  we  lived  on  the  prairies,  and  ex 
pected  to  sup  on  real  buffalo  steak  before  she  went 
to  bed." 

"  We  are  not  quite  so  bad  as  that,"  said  his  wife, 
with  a  deprecatory  smile,  "  though  I  fear,  Evelyn, 
you  will  find  things  here  different  from  what  you 
are  accustomed  to.  We  are  still,  of  course,  very 
unformed  and  rough,  and  people  are  only  just  be 
ginning  to  have  an  idea  of  what  I  call  social  per 
spective.  But  I  hope  we  may  be  able  to  make  the 
time  pass  pleasantly  for  you.  There  is  really  a 
good  deal  going  on  just  now.  The  Deckers'  grand 
ball  to-morrow  ought  to  be  worth  seeing,  I  think. 
Then  there  is  the  Plimsoll  reception  on  Wednesday, 
the  Arundel  Murray  dinner  on  Thursday,  and  Mrs 
J.  Astley  Coale's  musical  party  the  same  evening. 
Mrs.  Clay — the  lady  who  has  seen  your  sister — was 


FACE   TO  FACE.  89 

kind  enough  to  say  she  intends  to  issue  invitations 
to  meet  you  at  dinner  on  Friday  of  next  week,  and 
really,  Willoughby,  her  rooms  are  exquisite.  That 
new  architect  from  Boston  has  certainly  shown 
great  taste.  I  understand  she  gave  him  carte  blanche. 
By  the  way,  Mrs.  Clay  expects  Ernest  home  within 
the  next  fortnight  She  thinks  he  may  be  here  in 
time  for  the  dinner,  but  she  made  him  promise  not 
to  cable  when  he  was  to  sail.  Telegrams,  you  know, 
always  upset  her.  Poor  thing,  she  has  never  quite 
got  over  the  shock  of  her  husband's  death.  The 
son  is  a  charming  fellow  who's  just  returning  from 
a  journey  round  the  world,"  she  added,  turning  to 
Evelyn. 

"If  you  find  these  ordinary  amusements  dull, 
we'll  do  our  best  to  get  up  a  bison  hunt  or  introduce 
a  few  cow-boys  for  your  benefit,"  said  Mr.  Pimlico. 

"Don't  be  absurd,  Willoughby.  You  mustn't 
mind  him,  Evelyn.  He's  a  great  tease.  But  there 
is  always  polo,  you  know,  if  you  like  sports,  though 
I  dare  say  you  have  seen  it  much  better  played  in 
England  ;  and  Pussy  Bryson  has  promised  to  come 
and  take  you  to  her  tennis  club  to-morrow  morning, 
and  introduce  you  to  some  of  the  girls.  Then  next 
week  we  are  promised  a  treat,  for  Mr.  Bouton,  the 
master  of  the  hounds,  has  obtained  several  real 
foxes  and  he's  certain  they  will  be  sufficiently  wild 
to  hunt  by  that  time.  I  fancy  you  will  leave  us  ali 
behind  ;  but  Mr.  Bouton,  who  has  followed  the 
Belvoir  pack  in  the  old  country,  says  that  Marian 
Bydoon  and  Isabel  Slatterly  would  give  the  best 


9O  FACE   TO  FACE. 

horsewoman  in  Europe  all  she  could  do  to  keep  up 
with  them.  I  dare  say  he  exaggerates  a  little,  but 
they  really  do  ride  extremely  well.  Of  course,  you 
brought  your  habit  ?  " 

"  I  didn't,  cousin  Clara.  I  have  never  hunted  at 
home." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  gave  another  stare.  "  How  odd ! 
I  thought  everybody  hunted  in  England." 

"Gwendolen  and  Emily  went  in  for  it  a  little  be 
fore  they  were  married,  but  the  rest  of  us  never 
have.  We  used  to  ride  sometimes  in  Hyde  Park, 
though." 

"  Well,  I'm  sorry.  But  very  likely  you  will  take 
to  it.  Willoughby  has  a  nice,  quiet  hack  that  you 
can  practise  on  at  first,  and  I  dare  say  we  can 
manage  about  the  habit." 

"Do  any  of  the  girls  row  here  ?"  asked  Evelyn. 
"  You  know  our  house  is  directly  on  the  Thames, 
and  I  am  constantly  in  my  wherry." 

"  A  wherry  ?  Do  you  mean  one  of  those  long, 
thin  things  which  look  as  if  they  would  tip  over  if 
you  stirred  your  little  finger  ?  I  never  heard  of  any 
but  men  rowing  in  them — did  you,  Willoughby  ? 
Occasionally  one  sees  girls  on  tricycles,  but  no  one 
whom  one  knows.  I  like  to  go  bluefishing  about 
once  a  summer,  if  somebody  stays  by  me  all  the 
time  to  pull  in  the  fish  after  they  are  hooked." 

"  I  think,  Clara,  that  as  Evelyn  has  had  such  a 
long  day  of  it,  the  sooner  we  send  her  off  to  bed  the 
better,"  said  Mr.  Pimlico.  "  Bless  me,  it's  half-past 
three." 


FACE    TO   FACE.  9 1 

"Well,  my  dear,  if  you  want  anything,  you  must 
ask  for  it,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby.  "  To-morrow,  as 
I  told  you,  Miss  Bryson  is  coming,  about  half-past 
ten,  to  take  you  to  the  tennis.  After  lunch  we  will  go 
to  one  of  Mr.  Warne's  readings  on  the  minor  poets, 
at  Miss  Flagg's.  She  has  a  lovely  cottage.  In  the 
evening  there  is  the  Deckers'.  I  should  like  to  ar 
range  for  you  to  be  at  home  for  an  hour  or  two,  as 
a  good  many  of  the  girls  will  be  sure  to  call.  How 
ever,  we  can  talk  that  over  in  the  morning.  Pleas 
ant  dreams." 

"  And  if  you  hear  any  strange  noises  in  the 
night,"  cried  the  master  of  the  house  after  her,  "  you 
needn't  feel  frightened,  for  the  Indians  about  here 
arc  all  friendly." 

"  Thank  you  kindly,  cousin  Willoughby,  I  shall 
bear  it  in  mind,"  Evelyn  answered. 
v  It  passed  through  her  thoughts,  as  she  went  up 
stairs,  that  he  was  probably  little  aware  of  how  closely 
his  banter  hit  the  truth.  She  had  not  expected  bison 
hunts  or  wild  Indians,  indeed,  but  would  they  not 
have  been  nearer  to  her  anticipations  than  the  real 
ity  ?  She  glanced  around  her  bedroom.  It  was  far 
more  sumptuous  than  the  one  she  was  accustomed 
to  at  home.  A  vase  of  exquisite  roses  stood  on  her 
dressing-table,  and  by  them  lay  a  pile  of  notes  ad 
dressed  to  her.  She  opened  the  upper  one  and  read 
that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arundel  Murray  requested  the 
pleasure  of  Miss  Pimlico's  company  at  dinner  on 
Thursday  next.  At  the  top  of  the  paper  was  an 
elaborate  monogram  in  lavender  and  old  gold,  and 


92  FACE   TO  FACE. 

she  perceived  a  faint  scent  of  violets.  The  rest  were 
to  a  similar  effect,  including  balls,  receptions,  lunch 
parties,  and  a  coaching  picnic. 

She  tossed  them  aside  and  began  to  make  her  pre 
parations  for  the  night.  She  wondered  if  she  could 
be  dreaming,  and  whether  this  were  really  America. 
How  attractive  her  cousin  Clara  was  !  So  easy  and 
cordial  and  natural,  but  how  wrapped  up  apparently 
in  social  gaiety  !  She  was  going  to  have  an  opportu 
nity,  it  was  very  evident,  of  experiencing  what  society 
was  like  in  spite  of  herself.  For,  so  far  as  she  could 
see,  there  was  very  little  difference  in  the  style  of 
living  between  the  customs  of  home  and  those  she 
was  about  to  find  here  ;  and  while  she  was  to  a  cer 
tain  extent  free  to  choose  her  occupations  so  long  as 
she  was  under  her  father's  roof,  there  could  be  no 
escape  from  graciously  accepting  the  courtesies  of 
her  cousins'  friends.  It  was  too  early  yet,  perhaps, 
to  complain.  Had  she  not  made  a  resolution  to  sus 
pend  her  judgment  ?  Nevertheless,  she  could  not 
help  feeling  disappointed. 

As  she  extinguished  the  light,  the  moon  came 
pouring  into  the  room.  She  went  to  the  lattice  and 
looked  out.  There  was  not  a  cloud  in  the  sky.  A 
perfect  stillness  reigned,  save  for  the  regular  swash 
of  the  tide  against  the  rocks  below.  Her  chamber 
was  in  the  back  of  the  house  and  commanded  a  su 
perb  view  of  the  ocean,  which  lay  lapped  in  a  calm 
glory,  seeming  to  be  a  brighter  continuation  of  the 
cropped,  spacious  lawn.  To  right  and  left  there  were 
other  cottages  of  elaborate  architecture,  in  the  midst 


FACE    TO  FACE.  93 

of  equally  well  cared  for  grounds,  telling  of  fastidi 
ous  and  exclusive  ownership.  Beds  of  flowers  in 
fantastic  patterns,  which  appeared  ashen  under  the 
moonlight,  were  the  favorite  form  of  embellishmenL 
There  were  occasional  terraces,  and  at  the  foot  of  the 
premises  ran  a  continuous  narrow  path  along  the 
cliffs. 

Resting  her  arms  on  the  window-sill,  Evelyn  sat 
musing.  It  was  all  so  beautiful,  and  yet  she  wished 
it  had  been  different,  though  she  did  not  know  :n 
what  respect.  Surely  she  need  not  be  dissatisfied  at 
finding  a  paradise  instead  of  a  wilderness  There 
was  the  same  moon,  and  the  same  sea,  and  the 
same  finish  of  lawn  and  hedgerow  as  she  had  been 
used  to  gaze  upon  at  home.  She  asked  herself  if 
the  hearts  and  passions  of  men  were  likewise  every 
where  the  same.  The  thought  came  to  her,  that 
perhaps  she  had  expected  too  much,  and  had  let  her 
imagination  run  away  with  her  reason.  Could  she 
be  right,  and  two  continents  wrong  ?  She  remem 
bered  how  the  roar  of  traffic  had  thrilled  her,  but  a 
few  hours  ago,  as  it  had  never  done  before.  Yet, 
was  it  unlike  that  to  which  she  had  listened  all  her 
life  ?  Might  she  not,  in  like  manner,  sympathize 
with  human  splendor  and  repose  ?  Why  was  it  that 
she  wished  to  make  herself  different  from  the  rest  of 
the  world  ? 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  progress  was  no  vain  word. 
It  could  not  be  that  this  new  world,  with  its  vast  ex 
panse  of  territory  and  its  millions  of  souls,  was 
merely  a  repetition  of  the  old.  Fancy  had  misled 


94  FACE    TO  FACE. 

her  perhaps,  but  should  she  therefore  renounce  het 
faith  ?  She  would  be  true  to  herself,  and  yet  try  to 
accept  life  as  it  was,  if,  indeed,  it  were  nowhere  what 
she  had  imagined  it  *:o  be.  At  least  there  must  be 
some  difference,  unless  the  watchword  freedom  were 
an  empty  sound. 

Presently,  as  she  thought  further,  she  almost 
laughed  aloud.  The  coincidence  of  Mr.  Clay's  re 
appearance  on  the  scene  had  filled  her  with  amuse 
ment.  For  everything  pointed  to  his  being  identi 
cal  with  the  son  of  the  lady  her  cousin  Clara  had 
spoken  of.  The  prospect  of  taking  him  by  surprise, 
and  opening  his  eye?  to  the  egregiousness  of  his 
blunder,  made  her  feel  some  regret  that  she  was  so 
scantily  provided  for  in  the  way  of  dresses.  Her 
woman's  eye,  indifferent  as  she  professed  to  be  to 
the  vanities  of  the  wardrobe,  had  taken  note  of  the 
elegance  of  Mrs.  Willoughby's  attire,  and  the  con 
sciousness  that  her  own  was  commonplace  in  com 
parison  rather  oppressed  her.  She  would  have 
liked,  since  it  was  probable  that  the  laws  of  soci 
ety  were  to  be  the  same  as  at  home,  to  be  able 
to  dazzle  Mr.  Clay  with  the  brilliancy  of  her  toilet, 
and  the  rigorous  propriety  of  her  conduct,  by  way 
of  contrast  to  her  former  interview  with  him.  So 
strongly  did  this  desire  engross  her  thoughts,  that 
she  fell  asleep  while  endeavoring  to  plan  how  the 
least  objectionable  of  her  dresses  could  be  made  to 
look  bewitching.  The  chance  of  causing  Mr.  Clay 
to  repent  of  his  superciliousness  had' already  led  her 
to  regard  the  balls  and  dinner  parties  which  she 


FACE    TO  FACE.  95 

would  be  obliged  to  attend  as  not  altogether  un 
mitigated  evils,  especially  since  she  had  derived  the 
impression  that  there  was  a  disposition  to  make  a 
good  deal  of  her,  on  account  of  her  nationality. 

Meanwhile,  her  host  and  hostess  had  not  unnatur 
ally  been  exchanging  opinions  regarding  their  guest. 

"  Well,  Willoughby,  what  do  you  think  of  her  ?  " 
asked  Mrs.  Pimlico.  She  was  brushing  out  her  hair 
as  she  spoke,  and  had  been  gazing  intently  in  the 
glass,  as  though  in  abstruse  thought,  before  speaking. 

"She  seems  a  good-natured,  unaffected  sort  of 
girl,  very  much  like  her  sisters,"  answered  her  hus 
band.  "  She's  handsomer  than  any  of  them,  unless 
possibly  Gladys.  She  ought  to  make  a  sensation, 
decidedly." 

"  She's  lovely,  of  course,"  said  Mrs.  Pimlico.  "  I 
don't  think  she  was  very  much  pleased  at  your 
plaguing  her  about  the  prairies  and  all  that." 

"  Pooh,  dear  !  She  isn't  so  thin-skinned,  you  may 
take  my  word  for  it." 

"Willoughby?" 

"Well?" 

"  You're  sure  she'll  do,  aren't  you  ? " 

"Do?" 

"  Oh,  you  know  what  I  mean.  There's  no  doubt 
that  she'll  be  admired  on  account  of  her  looks,  but 
looks  are  not  everything,  after  all.  I  do  hope  she 
isn't  queer." 

"  Queer  ?  Nonsense  !  Why  should  she  be  queer  ? " 
he  asked. 

"  I  say  I  hope  she  isn't." 


g6  FACE   TO  FACE. 

"  What  are  you  driving  at,  Clara  ?  " 

;w  Well,  for  one  thing,  I  think  it  was  strange  her 
going  to  that  college." 

"Girton?" 

"  That's  what  you  called  it,  I  believe,"  said  Mrs. 
Pimlico.  "  No  girl  one  knows  ever  goes  to  college 
here." 

"  I  was  rather  surprised  when  she  told  me,  I  admit. 
She  is  perfectly  quiet  and  ladylike,  however." 

"  She  seems  so.  Did  you  happen  to  notice  her 
coat  and  hat  ? " 

"1  can't  say  I  did,"  he  answered. 

"  Then  it  was  because  you're  a  man,  for  anyone 
else  would  have  seen  that  they  were  intensely  dif 
ferent  from  anything  any  of  us  wear  here.  Now,  I 
dare  say  you'll  laugh  at  me,  but  I  would  give  a  good 
deal  to  know  if  they're  really  the  new  style  in  Lon 
don  or  not.  If  they  are,  of  course  I  want  to  order 
some  just  like  them  as  soon  as  possible  ;  but  do  you 
know,  Willoughby,  the  idea  struck  me  while  I  was 
looking  at  Evelyn  at  supper — and  I  regret  to  say  the 
more  I  have  thought  it  over,  the  more  it  has  grown 
on  me—  that  they're  some  dreadful  invention  of  the 
evil  one.  We  women  have  a  sort  of  instinct  in  these 
matters,  and  I  feel  it  in  my  bones,  that  this  is  so." 

"  Come  now,  Clara,  that  isn't  quite  fair  on  the 
poor  girl.  Her  mother  would  be  likely  to  see  that 
she  was  suitably  clad,  at  any  rate." 

"  She  didn't  bring  any  riding  habit,"  said  his  wife. 
"  Mrs.  Clay  will  know  at  once  if  they're  real  or  not," 
she  added,  as  though  to  herself.  "  The  wisest  course 


FACE    7'O  FACE.  97 

will  be  to  see  that  she  doesn't  wear  them,  and  so 
avoid  all  risk." 

"  It's  merely  that  English  women  don't  under 
stand  the  art  of  dressing  themselves  as  well  as  you 
Americans,"  he  said. 

"It  isn't  that,  Willoughby.  We  expect  that  and 
take  it  into  account.  Besides,  it  isn't  entirely  true 
any  longer,  for  women  in  London  who  care  how 
they  look  get  their  things  in  Paris  now.  No,  that 
hat  and  coat  are  either  intensely  fashionable  or  in 
tensely  vulgar,  and  I  can't  quite  decide  which." 

"  It's  a  small  matter,  it  seems  to  me,  to  make  such 
a  fuss  about." 

"  Not  if  her  other  clothes  are  all  in  the  same 
style.  I  dare  say  you're  entirely  right  about  it, 
dear.  It's  my  anxiety  that  she  should  be  a  complete 
success  makes  me  nervous.  Of  course  she  is  certain 
to  be,  but  if  by  any  chance  she  should  happen  to  be 
eccentric,  it  would  be  very  mortifying.  One  can 
never  be  sure  about  things.  I  don't  suppose  the 
idea  would  have  entered  my  head  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  that  dreadful  account  we  heard  yesterday  in  re 
gard  to  the  Honorable  Clayton  Beresford.  Only 
think  of  his  turning  out  an  impostor  after  all  the 
attention  he  received.  Last  summer  he  stayed  six 
weeks,  if  you  remember,  at  the  Arundel  Murrays, 
and  nothing  was  thought  too  good  for  him.  He  had 
letters — Mrs.  Clay  told  me  she  had  read  them — from 
some  of  the  nicest  people  in  England." 

"  That's  a  good  one,  Clara.  You  think  she's  an 
impostor — do  you  ?  " 


9*  FACE    TO  FACE. 

"  Don't  be  silly,  Willoughby.  You  know  I  think 
nothing  of  the  sort.  I  don't  believe  there's  anyone 
who  is  prouder  of  your  family,  as  a  family,  than  I 
am.  But  when  English  people  are  so  much  in  de 
mand,  one  naturally  likes  to  feel  that  one's  particu 
lar  attraction  is  the  best ;  and  as  in  every  large 
household,  like  your  cousin  Mortimer's,  there  is  al 
most  certain  to  be  some  one  child  who  is  not  quite 
so  presentable  as  the  others,  I  want  to  feel  sure  that 
they  haven't  sent  Evelyn  over  here  to  get  rid  of  her. 
For,  although  I  know  that  the  Prince  of  Wales  is 
fond  of  being  very  civil  to  American  girls  when  he 
takes  a  fancy  to  them,  there  is  no  doubt,  Willoughby, 
that  most  English. people  still  regard  us  as  little  bet 
ter  than  barbarians.  I  shouldn't  be  in  the  least  sur 
prised  if  Evelyn  really  had  an  idea  that  we  were  all 
cow-boys,  and  lived  on  buffalo  and  Boston  baked 
beans.  Only  think  how  ignorant  you  were  when 
you  came  over  here." 

"You  are  giving  yourself  a  great  deal  of  unneces 
sary  concern,  my  dear,  you  may  rest  assured,"  said 
her  husband. 

"  I've  no  doubt  I  am.  But  I'm  disappointed  she 
doesn't  hunt.  I  told  Isabel  Slatterly  only  to-night 
that  she  was  going  to  have  a  formidable  competitor. 
How  odd,  too,  about  her  rowing  !  " 

"  It  has  done  her  good,  at  any  rate.  She  has  a 
superb  physique.  But  I'm  sleepy." 

"  Well,  good-night.  You  ought  to  hear  Mrs. 
Clay  talk  about  Ernest.  She's  just  crazy  to  have 
him  married.  I  hope  he'll  get  here  in  time  for 


FACE    TO    I'ACE.  99 

our  dinner  next  week.  I  want  him  to  sit  by  Eve 
lyn." 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  silence,  and  then 
Mrs.  Pirnlico  said  :  "  Did  Evelyn  say  how  she  liked 
Mr.  Brock  ? " 

"  Mr.  Brock  wasn't  there." 

"  Wasn't  there  ? " 

"  On  board,  of  course.     Do  let  me  go  to  sleep." 

"  Not  on  board !  Do  you  realize  what  you  are 
saying,  Willoughby  ? " 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Clara  ?  I  asked  her  where 
Mr.  Brock  was,  and  she  said  he  had  been  detained 
by  business  at  the  last  moment.  That's  all  I  know 
about  it." 

"  Under  whose  charge  was  she,  then  ? "  asked  his 
wife. 

"  I  can't  tell  you.    I  did  not  see  anyone  with  her." 

"And  she  came  without  him  ?  " 

"  Isn't  she  here  ?  " 

Mrs.  Pimlico  gave  a  gasp  and  sat  up  in  bed.  "  Do 
you  mean  to  say  that  Evelyn  had  no  chaperon  ? 
What  a  perfectly  dreadful  thing  !  Who  else  were 
on  board  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  get  there  until  most  of  the  passengers 
had  gone." 

"  Tsch  !     It  will  be  all  over  town  to-morrow." 

"  I  don't  see  the  use  in  becoming  so  excited, 
Clara,  and  keeping  everybody  awake.  I  suppose  it 
would  have  been  more  prudent  if  she  had  waited 
until  she  could  get  an  escort,  but  the  danger's  over 
now.  She's  safe  in  the  house." 


IOO  PACE    TO  FACE. 

"Oh,  you  don't  understand,  Willoughby.  She 
might  as  well  go  home  to-morrow,  if  anyone  we 
know  was  on  board." 

"  What  sheer  nonsense  !  " 

Mrs.  Pimlico  made  no  reply,  but  for  an  hour  after 
she  twisted  and  turned  from  side  to  side.  At  the 
end  of  which  time  she  murmured  under  her  breath, 
"  I'm  sure  of  it  now.  That  hat  and  coat  are  ordi 
nary  as  can  be." 


VI. 

WHEN  Evelyn  awoke  the  next  morning  she  felt 
decidedly  that  it  would  be  wiser  to  discon 
tinue  her  impersonation  of  an  American  girl,  at 
least  for  the  time  being,  so  far  as  her  attire  was 
concerned.  She  was  a  little  annoyed  with  herself 
at  the  care  with  which  she  picked  out  a  suitable 
morning  gown  ;  not  because  she  was  disinclined  to 
look  as  well  as  possible,  but  from  a  consciousness 
that  she  ought  to  take  to  heart  more  sorely  the  ap 
parent  disappointment  of  all  her  ideas  relating  to 
transatlantic  usages.  She  realized  that  she  was 
about  to  participate,  with  a  tolerable  degree  of 
cheerfulness,  in  a  mode  of  life  against  which  her 
instincts  at  home  had  seriously  rebelled,  and  the 
perception  of  this  inconsistency  was  nettling.  Yet 
she  was  so  far  servile  as  to  adorn  her  person  with 
one  of  the  choicest  of  the  roses  on  her  dressing- 
table  before  going  down  to  breakfast. 

As  she  entered  the  room,  Evelyn  perceived,  by 
the  expression  of  Mrs.  Willoughby's  face,  that  her 
cousin  Clara  was  not  otherwise  than  content  with 
her  appearance.  It  was  easy  to  ask  herself  why 
she  should  care  ;  but  the  fact  remained  that  she  felt 
gratified  at  escaping  criticism.  She  found  her  host* 


IO2  FACE    TO   FACE. 

ess  very  gracious  and  charming,  though  of  course 
she  did  not  realize  that  the  occasion  of  Mrs.  Wil- 
loughby's  even  more  than  customary  urbanity  was 
relief  that  her  guest  did  not  look  like  a  guy.  A 
glance  about  the  rooms  and  a  peep  out  doors,  con 
firmed  her  opinion  of  the  night  before,  as  to  the  lux 
ury  and  elegance  of  her  surroundings.  However, 
as  she  had  reasoned  then,  there  was  no  alternative 
but  to  make  the  best  of  the  situation.  Yet  she  kept 
wondering  why  she  did  not  feel  more  unhappy. 

Miss  Bryson  was  punctual  and  carried  her  away 
in  a  pretty  phaeton,  in  the  rumble  of  which  was 
perched  a  groom  not  a  whit  less  small  and  no  less 
liveried  than  those  of  the  Row.  Her  companion 
was  a  vivacious  girl  of  about  her  own  age,  who  put 
her  quite  at  her  ease  by  the  easy  style  in  which  she 
conversed,  and  who  took  her  back  to  the  crooked 
little  lower  town  to  buy  some  tennis  shoes.  The 
principal  avenue  was  already  alive  with  a  variety  of 
equipages,  alike  of  the  picturesque  and  plutocratic 
type,  the  occupants  of  which  impressed  her  by  their 
stylish  demeanor.  Miss  Bryson  at  length  drove  in 
at  the  gateway  of  one  of  the  most  extensive  of  the 
many  beautiful  estates  on  either  side  of  the  way, 
where  a  party  of  about  a  dozen  girls  were  engaged 
in  playing  tennis.  Evelyn  was  familiar  with  the 
game,  and  she  did  not  experience  much  difficulty  in 
beating  the  most  expert  of  them,  for  which  they  evi 
dently  had  been  prepared.  When  they  were  tired 
luncheon  was  announced,  and  they  sat  down  to  an 
elaborate  collation  at  which  all  sorts  of  delicacies 


FACE    TO  FACE. 

were  served,  amid  a  babel  of  feminine  voices. 
Evelyn  sat  at  the  right  of  her  hostess  and  was 
treated  with  marked  politeness  by  everyone.  The 
universal  cordiality  and  friendliness  attracted  her, 
and  she  was  much  entertained  by  the  liveliness  of 
the  talk.  There  was  a  tendency  to  chaff  certain  of 
the  company  in  regard  to  what  she  judged  to  be  af 
fairs  of  the  heart,  and  two  or  three  of  the  girls  were 
bubbling  over  with  marvellous  bits  of  gossip  which 
were  received  with  shrieks  of  laughter.  Those  who 
sat  near  her  displayed  in  their  questions  a  knowl 
edge  of  the  social  life  of  England  that  made  her 
blush  at  her  own  ignorance.  Apart  from  this  topic, 
they  seemed  interested  in  talking  about  the  differ- 
e.nt  entertainments  that  were  to  be  given,  in  com 
paring  notes  as  to  those  which  had  taken  place, 
describing  the  dresses  of  girls  not  present,  discuss 
ing  the  last  new  novel,  guessing  at  an  engagement, 
and  wondering  whether  so  and  so's  attentions  to  so 
and  so  were  serious — all  the  while  eating  heartily. 
Toward  the  close  of  the  repast,  four  or  five  of  the 
choicest  spirits  formed  a  group  and  picked  to  pieces 
the  young  men  of  their  acquaintance.  Scraps  of 
the  dialogue  reached  Evelyn's  ears,  and  among 
other  names  that  of  Mr.  Clay  was  mentioned,  but 
she  could  not  distinguish  what  was  said  regarding 
him. 

Miss  Bryson  drove  her  home.  There  she  came 
upon  a  number  of  callers  whose  places  were  contin 
ually  supplied  by  others  for  nearly  an  hour.  Most 
of  these  were  fluent  talkers  and  very  well  dressed. 


104  FACE    TO  FACE. 

When  at  last  there  was  a  momentary  lull,  Mrs.  Will- 
oughby  forbade  the  fleckless  servant  to  let  in  any 
one  else,  and  hurried  Evelyn  up-stairs  to  get  ready 
for  Mr.  Warne's  reading.  The  hall  table  was  strewn 
with  cards.  Evelyn  sighed  at  the  thought  of  being 
obliged  to  repay  all  these  visits.  How  deeply  she 
was  plunging  into  the  mire  !  But  there  was  no 
time  for  consideration.  Besides,  she  felt  excited 
and  amused. 

A  few  minutes  later  she  was  being  whirled  again 
along  Bellevue  Avenue,  and  after  a  short  drive  she 
followed  her  guide  into  another  exquisite  parlor, 
where  a  young  man  was  reading  poetry  to  a  bevy 
of  ladies,  with  here  and  there  a  listener  of  the  sterner 
sex.  The  elocutionist  was  neither  shaggy,  brawny, 
nor  grandiloquent.  He  was  rather  dapper  and 
strictly  conventional,  and  he  read  his  selections 
with  a  dainty  propriety  that  would  have  befitted 
equally  well  a  London  drawing-room,  it  seemed  to 
Evelyn.  The  selections  were  largely  from  English 
writers.  Those  by  native  authors  were  trifling  hu 
morous  sketches,  or  fiddling  society  verses — with  one 
exception,  a  melodramatic  bit  from  mining  life  out 
West,  of  which  an  abandoned  woman  was  the  hero 
ine.  Many  of  the  company  were  so  much  affected 
by  the  last-mentioned  piece  as  to  require  salts  at  the 
close,  but  a  facetious  dialogue  introducing  severally 
an  Irishman,  Frenchman,  and  German  battling  with 
the  English  language,  quickly  restored  the  general 
serenity. 

This  was  the  final  selection,  and  everybody  then 


FACE    TO   FACE.  10$ 

tore  away  to  join  the  concourse  of  equipages  on  the 
avenue,  which  to  the  wondering  eyes  of  Evelyn 
fairly  rivalled  Hyde  Park.  Mrs.  Willoughby  told 
her  who  the  people  were  in  the  intervals  of  bowing. 
After  completing  the  circuit  they  returned  home, 
just  in  time  for  dinner,  at  which  asparagus  soup  ap' 
peared  as  potage  (Tasperge s  on  the  little  bills  of  fare 
which  circulated  round  the  table.  By  the  time  the 
coffee  was  served  it  was  necessary  to  dress  for  the 
Deckers'. 

Evelyn's  state  of  mind  was  further  exhilarated  by 
finding,  on  coming  down  from  her  chamber  in  ball 
costume,  two  superb  bouquets,  one  from  her  cousin 
Willoughby,  the  other  from  Mrs.  Clay,  who  had 
called  during  the  morning.  Mrs.  Clay's  attention 
seemed  to  her  ludicrous.  She  wondered  what  the 
son  would  say  if  he  knew.  Of  course,  the  flowers 
had  been  sent  out  of  friendship  to  the  Pimlicos,  but 
the  fact  remained  that  she — the  unsophisticated 
young  woman  from  Kansas — was  the  recipient.  The 
incident  amused  her  greatly.  She  wondered  if  she 
would  see  Mr.  Clay  at  the  party.  Had  he  arrived  ? 
Mrs.  Willoughby  had  said  nothing  further  about 
him,  so  she  dared  not  ask.  She  knew  that  she 
ought  to  wish  never  to  set  eyes  on  him  again,  but 
she  asked  herself  whether  this  curiosity  on  his  ac 
count  was  any  more  heinous  than  the  rest  of  her 
backslidings  during  the  past  twenty-four  hours. 

She  had  dressed  herself  with  special  care,  spend 
ing  fifteen  minutes  in  making  up  her  mind  which 
gown  to  wear  ;  and  when  she  had  arrived  at  a  deci- 


106  FACE   TO  FACE. 

sion,  the  process  of  completing  her  toilette  had  been 
lengthy  and  scrupulous.  Again  she  was  rewarded 
with  the  complacent  smile  of  her  chaperone,  and 
this  time  the  satisfaction  found  vent  in  words.  "  You 
look  charmingly,  Evelyn."  And  her  vanity  was  fur 
ther  flittered  by  her  cousin  Will,oughby's  kneeling 
down  before  her  with  his  hands  upon  his  heart,  in 
mock  heroic  fashion,  when  she  appeared.  Decidedly 
it  was  pleasant  to  be  approved  of. 

The  Deekers*  ball  was  a  festal  scene,  and  seemed 
to  Evelyn  like  fairy  land.  The  entertainment  was 
both  within  and  outside  the  house.  The  ample 
moon  and  balmy  weather  allowed  marquees,  and  a 
band  on  the  lawn  ;  while  a  network  of  illumination 
enlivened  the  piazzas.  There  were  hundreds  of 
guests,  but  the  rooms  were  so  numerous  and  large 
that  at  no  time  did  the  crush  impede  the  dancing  or 
render  circulation  difficult.  Evelyn  found  that  she 
had  fallen  into  good  hands,  for  Mrs.  Willoughby 
seemed  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  many  beauti 
ful  and  graceful  women  present.  Very  shortly,  her 
own  lot  might  well  have  been  envied  by  those  of  her 
sex  who  regard  attention  in  society  as  indispensable 
to  happiness.  To  Evelyn's  mind  it  seemed  highly 
unimportant,  but  nevertheless  her  cheeks  flushed 
vith  excitement  and  her  eyes  sparkled  as  the  youths 
who  flocked  about  her  chair  became  more  numerous. 
She  had  become  the  centre  of  attraction  from  the 
moment  she  entered  the  room,  though  so  little  aware 
of  it.  The  heart  of  Mrs.  Willoughby  beat  high  with 
satisfaction  as  one  after  another  of  the  most  fashion- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  IO/ 

able  and  fastidious  beaus  of  the  day  whirled  her 
charge  over  the  flawless  floor  in  the  delirium  of  the 
waltz,  or  sought  to  monopolize  her  charms  amid  the 
maze  of  Chinese  lanterns  out  of  doors.  Her  dancing 
was  a  little  halting  at  first,  but  improved  as  the  even 
ing  advanced,  and  as  for  other  points  of  criticism 
there  were  none  to  be  made  regarding  her  person, 
manners,  or  dress.  The  latter  was  plain  compared 
with  the  elegance  of  attire  by  which  she  was  sur 
rounded,  but,  as  Mrs.  Willoughby  reflected,  she  was 
all  the  more  distinguished  looking  on  that  account. 
Positively,  she  had  the  air  of  a  princess,  and,  what 
was  more  important  to  her  chaperone,  she  was  an 
assured  success.  Mrs.  Willoughby  had  even  begun 
to  doubt  her  own  instincts  in  the  matter  of  that  hat 
and  ulster. 

Although  Evelyn  was  too  dazed  and  translated 
by  the  admiration  she  received  to  make  reflections, 
she  was  conscious  of  the  absence  of  stiffness  and 
of  the  abundant  vivacity  which  carried  the  enter 
tainment  along.  The  young  men,  for  the  most  part, 
resembled  exaggerated  Englishmen  in  their  style 
of  dress  and  mode  of  speaking,  but  they  seemed 
to  her  tolerably  in  earnest  in  their  desire  to  ob 
tain  her  for  a  partner.  She  found  them  easy  to- 
talk  to  and  disposed  toward  humor.  It  was  evident 
to  her  that,  as  regards  a  greater  spontaneity  between 
young  people,  her  preconceptions  of  America  had 
not  been  entirely  mistaken.  An  equality,  a  compan 
ionship  existed  here  not  elsewhere  conceded  to  her 
sex.  Form  and  ceremony  were,  perhaps,  striving  to 


1O8  FACE    TO  FACE. 

choke  the  growth  of  the  principle,  but  it  was  recog 
nizable,  not  as  prominently  as  she  had  expected,  yet 
unmistakably.  The  vague  consciousness  of  this  en 
couraged  her  to  be  frank  and  spirited  with  her  ad 
mirers.  She  delighted  in  the  waltzing.  The  music, 
the  crowd,  the  omnipresent  scent  of  flowers,  and 
the  glitter  and  glare  stirred  her  pulses.  She  held 
her  head  erect  with  the  mettle  of  a  race-horse,  and 
entertained  five  men  at  once. 

What  she  said  she  scarcely  knew,  except  that  it 
was  mostly  nonsense.  But  it  seemed  to  please. 
She  was  greatly  in  demand,  and  after  supper,  when 
the  cotillion  began — a  novelty  at  last — (although  she 
was  assured  by  several  that  it  was  dying  out),  her 
head  grew  giddy  with  the  incessant  waltzing  to 
which  her  popularity  subjected  her.  So-called  fa 
vors,  often  bracelets  and  other  trinkets  of  appreci 
able  value,  were  showered  on  her,  and  during  the 
flower  figures  her  partner  was  obliged  to  get  an 
extra  chair  on  which  to  pile  the  bouquets  with 
which  she  was  presented.  She  kept  no  account  of 
time,  and  when  Mrs.  Willoughby  deemed  that  it  was 
advisable  to  go  home,  the  hour  was  half-past  three. 
Six  young  men  attended  them  to  the  carriage 
door.  Breathless  and  bewildered,  Evelyn  lay  back 
against  the  cushions  and  shut  her  eyes.  She  felt 
sure  that  Mrs.  Willoughby  was  delighted,  and — what 
was  much  less  inspiriting — she  knew  that  she  was 
delighted  herself.  Ernest  Clay  had  not  been  at 
the  ball,  and  she  had  almost  forgotten  his  existence. 
But  she  had  met  his  mother,  a  very  gracious  and 


FACE    TO  FACE.  IOg 

somewhat  elaborate  lady,  who  told  her  she  looked 
very  much  like  her  sister,  the  Countess  of  Harleth, 
and  asked  if  it  would  be  agreeable  to  her  to  dine  at 
her  house  on  Friday  of  the  next  week. 

"  Do  you  think  you  would  like  to  go  to  the  meet 
to-morrow  ?.  I  have  a  habit  that  will  fit  you,"  said 
Mrs.  Willoughby,  as  they  sat  sipping  beef-tea  before 
going  to  bed. 

"  I  am  in  your  hands,  cousin  Clara,"  she  an 
swered. 

They  slept  far  into  the  forenoon,  and  then,  accom 
panied  by  Willoughby,  set  off  for  the  hunting-field 
on  two  jaunty-looking  horses.  Evelyn  declined  the 
hack  ;  she  said  she  was  not  afraid  to  ride  a  hunter. 
She  was  in  capital  spirits  and  radiant  with  excite 
ment. 

She  found  the  hunting-field  with  T  carts,  til- 
burys,  stanhopes,  dog-carts,  tandems,  drags,  and 
coaches,  the  occupants  of  which  were  interested  in 
the  movements  of  a  handful  of  pink-coated  youths 
and  half  a  dozen  well-poised  young  ladies,  who,  in 
common  with  a  sleek  pack  of  beagles,  were  prepar 
ing  to  follow  an  aniseed  scent;  the  master  of  the 
hounds  being  of  opinion  that  the  foxes  in  his  pos 
session  were  still  too  tame  to  be  hunted.  Several  of 
Evelyn's  admirers  of  the  previous  evening  were 
among  the  riders.  They  urged  her  to  join  them  ; 
they  assured  her  that  she  would  find  herself  equal  to 
the  fences,  and  said  that,  if  not,  she  could  cut  round 
by  the  road  as  some  of  the  other  ladies  were  going  to 
do.  Her  cousin  Clara,  who  was  herself  an  enthusias- 


HO  FACE    TO   FACE. 

tic  horsewoman,  interposed  no  objection,  and  whis 
pered  in  Evelyn's  ear  that  Mr.  Bouton  had  just  de 
clared  she  had  a  capital  seat.  Willoughby  declared 
that  the  animal  she  was  riding  was  perfectly  gentle, 
but  Evelyn  scarcely  heeded  his  sanction  ;  so  eager 
had  she  become  to  join  the  hunt  she  would  have 
felt  ready  to  mount  a  veritable  brute  rather  than 
stay  behind.  When  the  signal  was  given  she  fol 
lowed  the  rest  in  a  dash  across  the  open  fields,  and 
took  her  first  leap — a  stiffish  wall — without  a  quiver. 
Henceforward  it  was  easy  work,  or  rather,  she  was 
in  such  high  feather  that  nothing  seemed  alarm 
ing.  Her  horse  was  fast,  and  after  the  first  mile 
she  left  Mrs.  Willoughby  in  the  rear  and  kept  her 
eyes  fixed  on  the  two  champions  of  the  hunt,  Miss 
Bydoon  -and  Miss  Slatterly,  dashing-looking  girls 
who  rode  close  to  the  master,  and  ahead  of  most  of 
the  sportsmen.  Once  in  a  while  somebody's  mount 
would  balk  or  lose  footing,  and  gradually  the  num 
ber  of  those  who  were  able  to  maintain  the  rapid 
pace  grew  small  enough  to  be  counted  on  one's 
fingers.  At  the  so-called  death,  Miss  Slatterly  was 
the  first  lady  in  ;  but  Evelyn  was  at  her  very  heels, 
having  ridden  neck  and  neck  with  Miss  Bydoon  and 
beaten  her  at  the  last  fence.  Her  cousin  Willough 
by,  who  was  one  of  the  few  pink  coats  ahead  of  her, 
called  her  a  trump,  and  the  victor  insisted  on  waiv 
ing  claim  to  the  brush  in  her  favor. 

That  evening  the  Plimsolls  had  a  reception  which 
was  a  repetition  of  the  Deckers',  as  regards  the  ad 
miration  lavished  upon  Evelyn.  The  morning 


FACE    TO   FACE.  Ill 

after  was  the  occasion  of  a  picnic  to  the  suburbs, 
which  was  very  gay  and  fashionable,  followed  by  a 
dinner  at  the  Arundel  Murrays,  where  Evelyn  sat 
between  two  young  men  who  conjointly  repre 
sented  five  million  dollars,  according  to  Mrs.  Wil- 
loughby.  From  there  they  adjourned  to  Mrs.  J. 
Astley  Coale's  musical  party.  Thus  it  was  really  the 
fourth  day  before  Evelyn  found  a  breathing  spell ; 
and  only  then  because  a  sailing  party  fell  through 
owing  to  the  sudden  decease  of  the  chaperone's 
uncle,  too  late  to  obtain  anyone  else  to  act  as  ma 
tron.  There  was  no  escape  from  passing  the  morn 
ing  quietly  on  the  piazza,  whither  after  breakfast 
Mrs.  Willoughby  led  the  way.  This  was  practically 
the  first  opportunity  that  she  and  Evelyn  had  had  of 
talking  together.  There  had  been  so  much  going 
on  that  their  intercourse  had  been  confined  to  bid 
ding  each  other  good-morning  and  good-night. 

Evelyn  stretched  herself  out  in  a  comfortable 
straw  chair,  glad  of  the  respite,  and  feeling  a  little 
ashamed  of  herself  withal.  But  the  murmurs  of  flat 
tery  still  lingered  in  her  ears,  and,  despite  her  qualms, 
she  was  glad  to  be  conscious  that  the  lull  was  only 
momentary.  At  certain  ages  one's  perspective 
changes  with  astonishing  rapidity,  and  we  find  our 
selves  tolerating,  and  then  delighting  in,  things  that 
struck  us  but  yesterday  as  insipid  and  shallow.  It 
seemed  to  Evelyn  months  already  since  she  had 
landed,  so  varied  and  bewildering  had  been  her  ex 
periences.  To  be  aware  in  a  general  way  that  one 
is  a  handsome  girl,  is  far  different  from  reading  the 


112  FACE    TO   FACE. 

confirmation  of  the  fact  in  the  admiring  eyes  of 
others. 

They  sat  reclining  on  either  side  of  a  little  table 
covered  with  magazines,  the  latest  novels,  and  a  box 
of  bonbons.  A  red  and  white  awning  sheltered  them 
from  the  glare  of  the  sun.  Mrs.  Willoughby  was 
still  lamenting  that  Mrs.  Gerald  Brown  domestic 
affliction  should  have  occurred  so  inopportunely. 

"  If  it  were  not  my  day  to  be  at  home,"  she  said, 
"  I  should  have  been  glad  to  matronize  you  myself; 
but  I  told  several  people  last  night  that  they  would 
be  certain  to  find  me.  It  is  very  difficult  to  get 
anyone  at  the  last  moment  so,  and  of  course  she 
is  right  to  give  the  party  up.  I  am  sorry,  though, 
on  your  account,  as  a  pleasant  set  was  going." 

"  I  had  an  idea  that  chaperones  were  not  consid 
ered  necessary  over  here,"  said  Evelyn,  presently. 

"  Where  could  you  have  got  such  a  notion  as  that  ? 
A  chaperone  not  necessary  !  We  are  rough  enough 
in  all  conscience  sake,  but  do  give  us  credit  for 
seme  slight  conceptions  of  propriety.  Fancy,  Wil 
loughby,"  she  said  to  her  husband,  who  was  stand 
ing  on  the  sill  of  the  door,  "  Mrs.  Brown's  uncle  is 
dead,  so  her  party  is  given  up,  and  Evelyn  wants  to 
know  why  they  can't  go  without  a  matron.  Did  you 
ever  hear  of  such  a  thing  ?  " 

"What  are  you  to  look  for,  my  dear,  from  a  young 
lady  who  thought  the  prairies  within  easy  walking 
distance  from  New  York  ?" 

"  Ol  course  we  can't  be  expected  to  come  up  to 
English  standards  yet,"  continued  Mrs.  Willoughby 


FACE   TO  FACE.  113 

*  though  I  do  think  we  are  improving  every  year  ; 
but  it  fairly  takes  one's  breath  away  to  feel  that  our 
society  is  no  better  understood  on  the  other  side. 
So  many  foreigners  seem  to  assume  that  we  are  all 
Daisy  Millers — which  is  the  more  odd,  seeing  that 
the  Prince  of  Wales  is  said  to  think  everything  of 
American  women.  There  was  one  girl,  I  believe, 
who  did  go  so  far  as  to  put  ice  down  his  back, 
which  was  a  pity,  of  course  ;  though  his  royal  high 
ness  was  amiable  enough  to  pardon  the  impertinence 
because  of  her  good  looks." 

"  Then  do  girls  have  no  more  freedom  here  than 
abroad  ?"  asked  Evelyn. 

"  Not  the  girls  who  have  the  same  position  in  life  as 
those  you  have  met.  The  trouble  is  we  are  a  new 
country,  and  fortunes  are  made  so  fast  that  there  is 
nothing  to  prevent  a  man  from  suddenly  growing 
enormously  rich  and  going  to  Europe  with  his  fam 
ily.  It's  just  exactly  as  if  one  of  your  tradespeople 
were  to  cut  a  splurge  on  the  Continent ;  only  he 
would  always  be  considered  a  tradesman  on  account 
of  your  class  distinctions,  and  nobody  would  dream 
of  citing  his  daughter's  manners  as  typical  of  your 
whole  society.  But  with  us  everyone  is  just  as  good 
theoretically  as  anyone  else,  and  therefore  we  are 
all  set  down  as  ignorant  of  the  simplest  laws  of  good 
breeding  and  ladylike  behavior." 

"  I  see.     I  wish,  cousin  Clara,"  Evelyn  continued, 
presently,  "you   would   tell    me   something   about 
America.     I  feel  very  ignorant  on  the  subject.     Is 
most  of  it  like  Newport  ? " 
8 


114  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"  Oh,  dear,  no.  There  is  no  other  place  precisely 
like  Newport  Lenox  is  the  nearest  approach  to  it, 
but  it  isn't  really  fashionable  there  until  after  the 
middle  of  August.  Then  there  are  the  White  Moun 
tains  and  Bar  Harbor,  which  have  great  natural 
beauties.  Nice  people  go  to  both  of  them,  and  the 
life  is  rather  more  unconventional  than  it  is  here,  es 
pecially  at  Bar  Harbor,  where  they  go  in  for  flannel 
shirts  and  that  sort  of  thing  a  good  deal.  I  dare  say 
you  would  find  Bar  Harbor  a  little  rowdy,  and  I  must 
say  I  shouldn't  blame  you  if  you  did  ;  but  some  of  our 
best  people  return  year  after  year,  and  think  there 
is  nothing  like  it.  Narragansett  Pier  is  somewhat 
in  the  same  style,  only  the  set  who  go  there  are  not 
so  refined.  The  girls  bathe  with  the  young  men  in 
very  peculiar-looking  costumes,  and  are  too  free  and 
easy  for  my  taste.  If  one  wants  to  be  amused,  and 
is  content  to  be  a  spectator  merely,  it  is  worth  while 
running  down  to  Saratogaor  Long  Branch  for  a  week. 
The  hotels  are  huge  caravansaries  and  the  dressing  is 
marvellous,  though  I  believe  it  isn't  so  much  the  cus 
tom  as  it  used  to  be  for  women  to  come  down  to  break 
fast  in  ball  costume.  All  the  people  who  have  no 
position,  and  who  have  made  money,  flock  there  and 
take  their  wives.  I  fancy  that  chaperones  are  con 
sidered  quite  unnecessary  at  these  latter  places.  The 
distinction  between  them  and  Newport  is  as  marked 
as  the  distinction  between  bad  and  good  taste." 

"  But  those  are  only  the  summer  places.  I  judge, 
from  what  cousin  Willoughby  said,  that  there  are  a 
great  many  cities,"  said  Evelyn. 


FACE    TO  FACE.  115 

"Oh,  yes.  There  is  New  York  to  begin  with, 
where  you  landed  from  the  steamer,  and  where  we 
pass  our  winters.  That  is  the  largest  city  in  the 
Union  and  the  richest.  Some  persons  think  it  will 
soon  rival  London  as  the  money  metropolis  of  the 
world.  Its  society  is  very  shifting  and  mixed,  be 
cause  of  the  rapid  way  in  which  fortunes  are  made, 
but  there  is  a  number  of  old  families  left ;  and,  be 
sides,  it  certainly  is  amazing  how  presentable  the 
children  of  people  who  started  as  shopkeepers,  or 
worse,  often  are.  They  are  very  quick  to  learn, 
particularly  the  girls.  I  suppose  our  climate  is  the 
explanation  of  it.  You  know  the  doctors  refer  al 
most  everything  to  climate  now-a-days.  I  dare  say 
you  would  like  Boston  better,  which  is  more  like  an 
English  city  in  the  way  it  is  built.  Boston  people 
are  very  nice,  too,  and  anyone  who  is  properly  in 
troduced  has  a  good  time  there.  It  is  very  near  to 
Harvard  College,  and  for  a  great  many  years  has  been 
regarded  as  the  literary  centre  of  the  country.  But 
I  heard  some  one  saying  the  other  day  that  it  was 
ceasing  to  be  so,  that  most  of  the  men  who  gave  it 
a  reputation  are  dead,  and,  what  with  the  big  pub 
lishers  and  magazines  in  New  York,  that  all  the 
best  literary  talent  is  going  there  also.  Still,  I  am 
always  afraid  of  Boston  girls.  They  are  supposed 
to  be  very  cultivated.  That  reminds  me — what  was 
the  name  of  the  college  you  said  you  went  to  ? " 

"Girton." 

"  Is  it  a  regular  college  ?  " 

"Yes." 


Il6  FACE    TO  FACE. 

"  Not  mixed,  surely  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Willoughby, 
faintly. 

"  Only  for  women." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  was  silent  a  moment.  "  What 
made  your  mother  send  you  there  ?" 

"  Neither  she  nor  papa  wished  me  to  go.  I 
wanted  to  get  a  thorough  education." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  paused  again.  "  Really  ?  How 
odd!  If  you  hadn't  have  gone,  I  suppose  you 
would  have  been  in  society  during  the  last  two 
years." 

"  I  suppose  so.  Don't  girls  over  here  go  to  col 
lege?" 

"  No  girls  whom  we  know,  dear.  There  is  a  place 
called  Vassar,  which  is  rather  dreadful,  I  believe, 
where  girls  are  treated  just  like  men,  and  at  Cor 
nell  the  two  sexes  are  taught  together.  Further 
West  there  are  other  colleges  of  the  same  sort." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  some  of  them,"  said  Evelyn, 
with  animation. 

Her  cousin  opened  her  eyes.  "  I  don't  think  you 
would.  As  I  said  just  now,  none  of  our  acquain 
tance  ever  go  to  them.  You  would  be  sure  to  find 
the  ways  there  very  different  from  those  of  Girton  ; 
though  I  must  say  I  am  astonished  to  hear  that 
girls  in  your  sphere  of  life  in  England  attend  col 
lege.  Have  any  of  your  sisters  been  to  college  ?" 

"No.     I  am  the  only  one." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  felt  fairly  puzzled  again.  What 
manner  of  person  was  this  young  relative  ?  Her 
instincts  told  her  that  there  was  something  amiss. 


FACE    TO   FACE.  117 

but  in  point  of  outward  behavior  there  was  nothing 
to  complain  of.  Indeed,  she  must  own  that  she  had 
every  reason  to  congratulate  herself. 

Evelyn's  voice  aroused  her  from  reverie.  "  Won't 
you  tell  me  something  more  ?  I  am  interested  in 
hearing  about  the  country." 

"  Let  me  see.  We  were  speaking  of  Boston  last. 
Then  there's  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  too,  where 
you  get  terrapin  and  canvas-back  ducks.  The  ter 
rapin  is  a  sort  of  turtle.  People  let  them  run  loose 
in  their  cellars.  That's  before  you  get  to  Washing 
ton.  Washington  is  our  capital,  you  know,  where 
the  President  lives  and  Congress  meets.  The  soci 
ety  there  is  mixed,  but  quite  delightful  and  more 
cosmopolitan  than  in  any  other  of  our  cities.  You 
see  all  the  foreign  ambassadors  and  attaches  there." 

"What  sort  of  a  man  is  the  President  ? "  inquired 
Evelyn. 

"  He  is  very  respectable,  I  believe,  but,  as  you 
probably  know,  our  President  is  quite  a  different 
person  from  your  Queen  or  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
For  instance,  he  scarcely  ever  belongs  to  society. 
Of  course,  it  is  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the 
nation  and  every  one  takes  pains  to  be  pt>lite  and 
considerate  to  him  ;  but,  apart  from  his  position  for 
the  time  being,  one  wouldn't  be  apt  to  ask  him  to 
the  house.  I  dare  say  that  sounds  strange  to  you." 

"Very  strange,  indeed." 

"You  see,  even  if  he  is  an  honest  man  himself," 
continued  Mrs.  Willoughby,  "he  is  almost  certain 
to  be  in  the  hands  of  the  politicians,  who  use  him 


Il8  FACE    TO  FACE. 

for  their  purposes.  We  have  two  branches  of  Con 
gress,  the  Senate  and  the  House  of  Representatives, 
which  correspond  to  your  House  of  Lords  and 
Commons  ;  but  while  your  members  are  chiefly  the 
foremost  men  in  the  country,  both  as  regards  social 
standing  and  ability,  a  great  proportion  of  our  Con 
gressmen  cannot  even  speak  the  English  language 
correctly.  Everyone  agrees  that  it's  no  use  for  a 
gentleman  to  try  to  go  into  politics.  He  is  sure  to 
get  smirched  or  he  isn't  re-elected." 

"  What  a  dreadful  state  of  affairs  !  Is  it  just  the 
same  in  the  West  ? " 

"  It's  a  great  deal  worse.  Here  in  the  East,  in 
those  places  I  spoke  to  vou  about,  New  York,  and 
Boston,  and  Philadelphia,  there  isn't  such  a  very 
great  difference  after  all  between  the  style  of  living 
and  that  of  people  in  London  and  Paris.  Besides, 
we  are  constantly  improving.  But  after  you  get 
two  hundred  miles  from  the  coast  it's  terribly  un 
civilized.  I  don't  mean  that  there  are  not  handsome 
cities,  for  there  are.  I  believe  that  San  Francisco, 
which  is  away  out  in  California,  where  the  gold 
comes  from,  has  the  biggest  hotel  in  the  country. 
The  private  residences  of  the  bonanza  kings  are  said 
to  be  more  splendid  than  anything  we  have  in  New 
York.  Then  there  is  Chicago,  which  is  a  great  deal 
larger  than  it  was  before  the  fire,  though  a  person, 
to  keep  clean  there,  has  to  be  continually  washing, 
on  account  of  the  soot,  which  is  horrible — much 
worse  than  in  London.  Most  of  the  pigs  come  from 
Cincinnati,  and  the  people  are  very  rich  in  conse- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  119 

quence.  Of  course,  everyone  has  heard  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  the  Mississippi  River.  The  prairies 
lie  in  that  direction,  and  the  Mormons,  and  the 
ranches,  and  the  Union  Pacific  Railway.  It's  quite 
the  fashion  now  for  young  men  in  New  York  to  go 
out  to  seek  their  fortunes  on  a  ranch.  They  gener 
ally  come  back  for  a  month  or  so  in  the  winter,  and 
their  adventures  are  most  thrilling.  But,  as  I  was 
saying,  the  manners  and  customs  throughout  the 
West  are  very  astonishing.  You  ought  to  see  the 
wives  of  some  of  the  Western  Senators  and  Con 
gressmen  who  come  to  Washington.  Of  course,  as 
I  observed  just  now,  our  people  are  very  quick  to 
learn,  and  it's  marvellous  what  strides  some  of  those 
cities  are  making.  Still  it  must  take  a  great  many 
years  before  the  West  can  catch  up  with  the  East." 

Evelyn  sat  for  some  moments  lost  in  reflection 
after  Mrs.  Willoughby  had  finished.  "  It  isn't  at  all 
what  I  supposed,"  she  said,  rather  mournfully. 

"  I  was  afraid  you  would  be  disappointed,"  an 
swered  Mrs.  Willoughby.  "And  if  you  find  us  in 
elegant  here,  I  wonder  what  you  would  say  to  St. 
Louis  or  Denver." 

"  It's  the  other  way.  The  trouble  is — everything 
is  too  elegant.  I  might  just  as  well  be  at  home." 

"At  home  ?" 

"  Yes.  Your  houses  and  your  carriages  and  your 
parties  are  every  bit  as  handsome  as  those  in  Lon 
don,  and  you  lead  very  much  the  same  mode  of  life 
as  people  do  there." 

"  Really  ?     Do  you  think  so  ? " 


I2O  FACE    TO  FACE. 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,"  said  Evelyn.  "  Bellevue 
Avenue  is  a  second  Hyde  Park." 

"We  do  our  best,  of  course.  But  I  can't  help 
feeling  you  exaggerate.  I  suppose  there  is  no  doubt 
we — that  is  the  women — dress  better  than  you.  We 
always  have.  In  general  ways,  though,  we  are  still  a 
long  way  behind.  I  know  Willoughby  is  of  that 
opinion.  He  says  there  is  very  little  for  a  man  of 
leisure  to  do  here  compared  with  London.  We  are 
provincial.  We  lack  tone." 

"Why  is  it  that  you  are  so  anxious  to  be  like 
other  nations  ? "  asked  Evelyn. 

Mrs.  Willoughby  stared  curiously  at  her.  "Nat 
urally,  we  don't  wish  to  be  behind  the  rest  of  the 
world." 

"  I  thought  this  country  was  a  new  departure,  and 
that  Americans  were  original  and  independent." 

"  So  we  are,  I  think,  dear.  We  believe  in  liberty 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  and  that  a  man  should  be 
permitted  to  marry  his  deceased  wife's  sister." 

"  But  you  seem  to  imitate  us,  nevertheless,  in  your 
manners  and  customs." 

"  Surely  you  wouldn't  have  us  eat  with  our  fin 
gers  or  live  in  log  cabins  in  order  to  be  different  ? " 
said  Mrs.  Willoughby.  "  I  don't  understand  what  you 
mean,  Evelyn.  What  did  you  expect  to  find  us  ? " 

"  I  don't  know  exactly.  Different  was  all  I  said. 
I  wasn't  prepared  for  so  many  beautiful  things — for 
so  much  luxury  and  wealth.  I  suppose  in  New 
York  they  are  more  noticeable  still,  and  that  you 
live  in  much  the  same  way." 


FACE    TO  FACE.  121 

u  Oh  yes.  Everything  is  on  a  handsomer  scale 
there.  It  is  a  city  life,  you  know.  If  you  mean 
books,"  continued  Mrs.  Willoughby,  after  a  reflec 
tive  pause,  "no  one  thinks  of  working  in  summer, 
but  when  we  go  back  to  New  York  you  will  find 
that  our  nicest  girls  are  well  up  on  most  subjects. 
There  are  classes  in  history,  art,  philosophy,  and  all 
those  things.  I  don't  know  what  your  studies  at 
Girton  may  have  been,  but  the  instructors  who 
make  a  specialty  of  young  ladies'  classes  here  are 
careful  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times.  Some  people 
think  that  education  is  overdone,  and  that  we  all 
read  and  study  too  much.  The  daughters  of  the 
masses  are  very  often  taught  to  play  on  the  piano 
and  to  talk  French  when  they  had  much  better,  in 
my  opinion,  be  learning  housework.  Some  of  our 
own  girls  carry  it  too  far,  and  injure  their  health. 
Isabel  Slatterly's  younger  sister,  Dora,  won't  be  able 
to  go  anywhere  next  winter  because  she  studied  too 
hard  at  school.  There's  no  lack  of  education,  if 
that's  what  you  complain  of." 

"  I  am  not  complaining  of  anything,  cousin 
Clara." 

"  I  suppose  you  mean  to  imply  that  we're  frivo 
lous  and  worldly,"  continued  Mrs.  Willoughby,  as 
though  she  felt  it  necessary  to  defend  herself,  and 
not  heeding  her  guest's  remark.  "  But  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  good  done  in  New  York  in  the  way 
of  helping  the  poor  and  improving  the  condition  of 
tenement-houses,  and  of  getting  up  excursions  for 
children  in  the  hot  weather.  People  are  very  lib- 


122  FACE    TO  FACE. 

eral  with  their  money,  I'm  sure.  One  can't  be  giv 
ing  all  the  time.  Besides,  the  idea  now  is  that  it 
does  poor  people  more  good  not  to  give,  but  to 
teach  them  to  support  themselves.  It  seems  to  me 
I  hear  of  nothing  else  during  Lent  but  of  girls  who 
visit  a  certain  number  of  poor  families  a  week  to  see 
that  their  drains  are  kept  in  order,  and  that  they  get 
proper  ventilation.  'Slumming' it's  called.  I  think 
we  borrowed  the  word  from  you.  Really,  Evelyn, 
I  don't  know  what  you  would  have  us  do.  There 
are  plenty  of  queer  people,  too,  who  go  in  for  cre 
mation  and  woman's  rights,  and  things  of  that  sort. 
Perhaps  you  have  them  in  mind.  Nobody  knows 
them,  but  you  can  read  about  their  meetings  in  the 
newspapers.  I  am  quite  crazy  to  know  a  medium 
and  go  to  a  seance,  but  Willoughby  says  they  are 
usually  not  respectable.  What  is  it  you  mean 
dear  ? " 

"  I    don't  think   I   know.     Very   likely  I   am  all 
wrong  and  foolish,"  answered  Evelyn. 
"  But  you  must  have  meant  something." 
"  I  only  said  that  I  was  reminded  of  home." 
"  Yes.     But  that  is  the  same  as  saying  we  are  not 
patriotic,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby.     "You  wouldn't 
think  so  if  you  had  been  here  at  the  time  of  the 
Civil   War.      I    can    remember   it  perfectly.      The 
streets  were  crowded  with  soldiers,  and  everybody 
was  eager  to  save  the   Union.     I  was  only  a  little 
girl  at  the  time.     There  were  a  great  many  people 
one  knows  killed.     Mrs.  Clay  lost  her  husband,  and 
she  has  never  left  off  black  since." 


FACE    TO   FACE.  123 

"  What  sort  of  a  person  was  her  husband  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  was  too  young  to  know  him  person 
ally.  But  I've  always  heard  that  he  behaved  splen 
didly  in  the  war.  He  recruited  a  regiment  at  his 
own  expense.  He  was  a  banker,  and  he  left  his 
widow  and  Ernest  extremely  well  provided  for 
Ernest  is  to-day  one  of  the  richest  young  men  in 
society.  Willoughby  says  his  property  is  enormous, 
and  prudently  invested.  Besides,  he  is  remarkably 
clever  and  well  informed,  and  has  travelled  every 
where.  I  do  hope  he  will  arrive  before  rny  dinner, 
for  I  want  him  to  sit  next  to  you.  I  consider  him 
charming." 

"What  does  he  do  ?  "  inquired  Evelyn. 

"  Do  ?  He  is  very  good  to  his  mother  for  one 
thing." 

"  1  mean  what  is  his  occupation  ?" 

"  If  you  mean  business,  he  hasn't  any.  Of  course 
he  has  all  the  money  he  can  possibly  need." 

"  How  does  he  spend  his  time,  then  ? " 

Mrs.  Willoughby  stared  again  curiously.  "  He 
travels  a  good  deal  ;  he  takes  care  of  his  property  ; 
he  has  a  yacht  and  plenty  of  horses,  and  his  clubs. 
He  is  a  great  reader,  too.  You  are  a  strange  girl, 
Evelyn." 

"Why  so,  cousin  Clara  ?" 

"  You  have  such  an  odd  way  of  looking  at  things." 

"  Have  I  ? " 

"  One  would  imagine  from  your  manner  of  speak 
ing  that  you  thought  Mr.  Clay  ought  to  go  into 
business  and  run  the  risk  of  losing  everything  he 


124  FACE   TO  FACE. 

has,  merely  for  the  sake  of  being  able  to  say  he  has 
a  visible  means  of  occupation.  I'm  sure  I  think  he 
is  very  sensible  to  live  as  he  does.  Do  young  men 
of  his  means  and  position  in  England  live  any  dif 
ferently  ? " 

"  That's  just  the  trouble,"  laughed  Evelyn. 

"  The  trouble  ? " 

"Yes.  I  didn't  think  I  should  find  young  men  in 
America  the  same." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  shook  her  head  despairingly. 
"I  don't  understand  what  you  mean.  You  certainly 
have  very  strange  ideas.  In  what  way  would  you 
have  them  different,  pray?" 

"  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  yet,"  Evelyn  said,  with 
another  laugh.  "  Perhaps  I  may  change  my  mind." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  sat  musing  for  some  moments, 
tapping  her  foot  on  the  piazza.  "  I  forgot  to  ask 
you,  my  dear,  what  became  of  Mr.  Brock." 

Evelyn  colored  slightly.  "  Mr.  Brock  ?  "  she  an 
swered. 

"Yes.     Did  you  leave  him  in  New  York  ?  " 

"  He  didn't  come  with  me." 

"  Didn't  come  with  you  ? " 

"  No,  business  called  him  back  to  London  just  as 
we  were  about  to  sail." 

"  Whose  charge  were  you  under,  then  ? " 

"Nobody's.     I  came  by  myself." 

"Alone?" 

"Yes.     I  didn't  think  there  was  any  harm  in  it" 

"  If  you  mean  by  '  harm  '  anything  happening  to 
you,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby  "  I  don't  suppose  there 


FACE    TO  FACE.  12$ 

was.  But  you  must  surely  realize  what  a  very  pecu 
liar  thing  it  was  to  do.  Alone  !  I  am  perfectly  as 
tonished." 

"I  shouldn't  have  done  so  if  I  had  been  going 
anywhere  except  to  this  country.  But  I  said  to  my 
self,  'That's  just  what  an  American  girl  would  do.'  " 

"Never,  Evelyn.  That  is,  none  but  very  ordi 
nary  people.  A  girl  from  Vassar  might." 

"  I'm  beginning  to  appreciate  I  made  a  mistake." 

"  I  should  think  so  !  How  could  you  do  it  ?  I 
wonder  that  Mr.  Brock  permitted  it." 

"  Mr.  Brock  seemed  rather  pleased  than  other 
wise  at  my  decision,"  said  Evelyn. 

"  I  ought  not  to  have  trusted  him.  Mr.  Brock  is 
a  clever  man,  and  a  very  rich  man,  but  he  is  self- 
made,  and  between  you  and  me,  a  little  vulgar. 
Still,  I  am  completely  astonished.  I  trust  sincerely 
that  no  one  we  know  was  on  board." 

"  I  was  sick  in  my  state-room,  after  the  first  two 
days." 

"Thank  heaven  for  that." 

Evelyn  gave  a  low  laugh. 

"  It  is  no  subject  for  mirth,"  continued  Mrs.  Wil- 
loughby. 

"  I  am  dreadfully  sorry,  cousin  Clara.  I  can  see 
I  was  quite  in  the  wrong.  I  will  never  do  it  again." 

"  But  how  came  you  to  do  it  at  all  ?  I  don't  see 
where  you  got  such  ideas  from." 

"  I  can't  tell  you.  They  are  of  a  piece  with  the 
rest.  But  I  haven't  done  anything  peculiar  since  1 
came  to  Newport,  have  I  ?" 


126  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"  That's  the  odd  part  of  it.  But  please  don't  try 
any  experiments  here,"  said  her  cousin.  "  I  am 
very  anxious  to  see  the  passenger-list  of  the  Britan 
nic,"  she  added  musingly.  "  I  asked  Willoughby  to 
buy  me  a  copy  of  the  New  York  paper  in  which  it 
would  have  been,  and  he  forgot  to." 

"I  will  promise  to  be  very  good,"  answered 
Evelyn. 

"  I  do  hope  you  are  having  a  pleasant  time,  dear.'' 

"  Delightful." 

"  You  have  been  very  much  admired,  and  I  should 
be  extremely  sorry  to  have  the  good  impression  you 
have  created  altered  in  any  respect.  Do  be  care 
ful." 

"All  the  care  in  the  world  won't  be  of  any  use  if 
any  of  your  friends  were  on  board  the  steamer, 
cousin  Clara,"  said  Evelyn,  with  another  laugh. 

"  Ugh  !  It  makes  me  creep  whenever  I  think  of 
it." 

"  Still,  they  couldn't  dispute  the  fact  that  one  of 
my  sisters  is  a  countess,  and  another  the  wife  of  a 
knight.  That  is  one  of  my  strongest  recommenda 
tions,  and  no  misbehavior  on  my  part  could  alter  it. 
Nearly  everyone  alludes  to  it." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  looked  at  her  doubtfully.  "  You 
are  a  strange  girl,  as  I  said  before,"  she  said  ;  "  I 
can't  quite  make  you  out.  Ah  !  There  comes  your 
cousin  to  take  you  to  drive.  I  must  tell  him  to  be 
sure  to  get  me  the  Herald"  t 

As  Evelyn  went  into  the  house  for  a  sacque,  she 
happened  to  notice  her  billycock  hat  and  ulster 


PACE  TO  F4CJB, 

hanging  in  the  hall,  where  she  had  left  them  on  the 
evening  of  her  arrival.  Such  was  her  frame  of 
mind  that  she  reached  out  her  hand,  took  them 
down  from  the  peg,  and  put  them  on.  Then  she 
presented  herself  before  her  cousins  with  an  arch 
smile. 

Mrs.  Willoughby  gave  a  little  cough.  "It  \ 
warm  to-day,  Evelyn.  You  will  scarcely  need  so 
heavy  a  wrap.  Let  me  send  up  to  your  room  for 
that  thin  jacket." 

"Oh  no,  this  will  do  very  well,  cousin  Clara." 

"  You  will  roast.  Besides  you  look  a  great  deal 
prettier  in  that  hat  with  the  feather." 

"  Beauty  is  skin  deep." 

"  Yes,  but  why  not  look  as  well  as  you  can  ? 
Come,  do  put  on  the  others,  as  a  favor  to  me.  You 
know  you  promised  to  be  good,"  she  said,  and  she 
rang  the  bell. 

"  Why,  is  there  anything  out  of  the  way  about  my 
hat  and  ulster?"  Evelyn  asked,  scarcely  able  to 
control  her  features  at  Mrs.  Willoughby's  anxiety. 

"  I  dont  say  that,  dear  ;  but  I  might  as  well  tell 
you  frankly,  no  one  here  ever  wears  anything  of  the 
sort.  Patterson,"  Mrs.  Willoughby  said  to  the  ser 
vant,  "ask  Dowler  to  go  to  Miss  Pimlico's  room 
and  bring  down  her  hat  with  the  gull's  feather,  and 
her  brown  sacque." 

"  I  thought,"  said  Evelyn  tantalizingly  "  that 
everything  English  was  admired  here." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  coughed  again.  Could  they 
really  be  English  ?  She  said  to  herself  that  she 


128  FACE    TO   FACE. 

would  consult  Mrs.  Clay  without  delay.  "  I  have 
no  doubt,  of  course,  dear,  that  they  are  in  every  re 
spect  suitable,  but  the  others  happen  to  be  more 
becoming  to  you  personally,  that's  all." 

"  A  great  fuss  to  make  about  a  very  little  matter." 
said  Willoughby,  who  had  silently  enjoyed  the 
scene.  "  She  was  very  well  as  she  was." 

"You  men  don't  understand  such  things,"  an 
swered  his  wife.  "  There,  you  can't  tell  how  much 
better  you  look,  Evelyn,  whatever  he  may  say." 

"  Cousin  Willoughby,  what  sort  of  a  place  is 
Kansas  ?"  asked  Evelyn,  as  she  stood  buttoning  her 
sacque. 

"  Kansas,  child  ?  How  came  you  to  think  of  such 
a  place  as  that  ?  "  exclaimed  his  wife.  "Kansas  is  a 
State — one  of  those  western  settlements  I  have  just 
been  telling  you  about — or  is  it  a  territory,  Wil 
loughby  ?  I  never  am  quite  sure." 

"A  State,  love.  Are  you  thinking  of  settling 
there,  Evelyn  ? " 

"  Not  at  present,  cousin  Willoughby." 

"  It  would  suit  you  exactly,"  he  continued. 
"There  are  prairies  and  buffaloes  and  Indians  with 
out  limit,  or  there  used  to  be  the  last  time  I  was 
out  there.  Come,  jump  in." 

After  they  were  gone  Mrs.  Willoughby  composed 
herself  again  in  her  chair  ;  but  though  a  book  lay 
on  her  lap  she  did  not  read.  She  fell  into  a  brown 
study. 


vir. 

A  BOUT  fifteen  minutes  later,  a  stylish  dog-cart 
11  entered  the  Pimlico  grounds,  and  a  young  man 
ran  up  the  steps  and  shook  hands  cordially  with 
Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Clay !  This  is  a  surprise.  When  did 
you  arrive  ?" 

"  I  got  here  last  night." 

"  How  well  you  are  looking !  Do  sit  down.  Let 
me  see — it's  fully  a  year  since  you  went  away." 

•'Just  thirteen  months." 

"And  you've  really  been  round  the  world  ?" 

"  I  have." 

"  And  how  do  you  find  Newport  ?  " 

"  It  looks  natural." 

"  You  ought  to  say  we  have  improved." 

"  I  haven't  had  time  to  criticise  yet,"  he  answered. 
"Time  has  been  merciful  to  you,  at  least." 

"  Please  don't  remind  me  of  my  age.  I  am  pain- 
fully  aware  of  the  fact  that  I  am  growing  old.  I 
have  a  young  lady  stopping  with  me,  who  ought  to 
satisfy  you,  however." 

"  Indeed  ! " 

"  An  English  girl." 

"  So  I  have  heard." 


I3O  FACE   TO  FACE, 

"  Your  mother  has  told  you,  then  ? " 

"  She  has,  and  also  given  me  your  kind  invitation 
to  dinner  for  to-morrow,  which  I  have  the  honor  to 
accept." 

"  I  am  so  glad.  I  want  you  to  sit  next  to  her. 
She  is  very  handsome.  She  is  a  cousin  of  my  hus 
band's,  and  sister  to  the  Countess  of  Harleth,  whom 
your  mother  met  in  London.  Another  sister  mar 
ried  Caithness  Corrie,  who  is  in  Parliament  and 
very  highly  thought  of  by  Mr.  Disraeli." 

"  Humph  !  " 

"  She  is  a  great  success.  Everybody  is  talking 
about  her." 

"I  congratulate  you." 

"  Pshaw  !  You  are  as  bad  as  ever.  One  would 
imagine  I  were  speaking  of  a  graven  image  instead 
of  a  lovely  young  woman.  Why  don't  you  show  a 
little  enthusiasm  ? " 

"  I  haven't  seen  her  yet." 

"  Unhappily  she  is  at  the  moment  out  driving 
with  Willoughby.  But  take  my  word  for  it,  she 
would  look  charmingly  at  the  head  of  your  table." 

"  Don't.  My  mother  has  been  lecturing  me  on 
the  evils  of  bachelorhood  all  the  morning." 

"  Your  mother  is  miserably  unhappy  on  the  sub 
ject.  It  is  high  time  you  were  married." 

"  I  agree  with  you.  I  should  be  only  too  glad  to 
marry,  provided  I  could  fall  in  love." 

"You  expect  too  much.  Fix  your  choice  on 
some  attractive  girl,  and  what  you  desire  will  follow 
after  you  are  man  and  wife." 


FACE   TO  PACK.  131 

"  Thanks.  With  due  respect,  that  argument  is 
threadbare." 

"  An  old  bachelor  is  one  of  the  most  unhappy  of 
God's  creatures." 

"  A  single  man  can  get  along  swimmingly  until 
he  is  forty-five.  After  that  suicide,  at  least,  is  al 
ways  open  to  him." 

"  How  foolishly  you  talk  !  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  there  is  much  moral  distinc 
tion  between  cutting  one's  throat  and  marrying  a 
girl  one  doesn't  care  for.  The  latter  is  a  lingering 
death,  to  say  nothing  of  the  circumstance  that  two 
people  are  made  miserable." 

"  Travel  has  made  you  sophistical." 

"  I  am  merely  defending  myself  from  a  conspir 
acy.  You  and  my  mother  are  in  league,  I  see. 
Well,  I  defy  you  both." 

"But  you  mustn't  make  up  your  mind  in  advance 
to  dislike  her.  Promise  me  that." 

"  I  am  not  a  misogynist  on  principle,  only  by  force 
of  circumstances."  Clay  was  silent  a  moment  and 
gave  one  of  his  short  laughs.  "  It's  strange,"  he 
said,  "  how  one's  susceptibilities  are  not  always  in 
accord  with  one's  instincts.  You  know  what  a  pre 
judice  I  have  against  unconventional  manners  ? 
Well,  the  nearest  approach  to  a  palpitation  that  I 
have  experienced  for  years  was  on  the  passage  over, 
at  the  hands  of  a  young  woman  from  Kansas." 

"  Kansas  ? "  echoed  Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"  So  I  understood.  She  had  been  studying  abroad 
and  was  on  her  way  home.  She  was  entirely  alone, 


132  FACE   TO  PACE. 

and  finding  time  heavy  on  her  hands,  I  suppose,  she 
scraped  acquaintance  with  me." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?     Scraped  acquaintance  ?  " 

"Yes.  That's  nothing  uncommon  now-a-days 
among  our  countrywomen  of  a  certain  class.  I 
mean  she  entered  into  conversation  with  me.  She 
was  remarkably  handsome,  too.  She  made  a  dead 
set  at  me,  borrowed  my  newspapers  the  second  day 
out,  and  made  herself  generally  obnoxious.  But  I 
found  myself  thinking  about  her  afterward,  which 
rarely  happens  with  me,  you  know." 

"  What  a  very  peculiar  individual !  " 

"  She  had  ideas." 

"  I  should  say  so.     What  became  of  her  ?  " 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say,"  answered  Clay,  "  that  she 
vanished  after  our  first  interview,  and  I  never  saw 
her  again  until  just  before  we  landed,  and  then  I 
judged  it  more  prudent  to  part  as  strangers.  I 
couldn't  help  thinking,  though,  at  the  time,  that  the 
method  in  which  all  the  girls  of  our  acquaintance 
are  brought  up  tends  to  squeeze  the  originality  out 
of  them.  It  may  be  a  question  which  is  the  lesser 
evil,  no  manners  or  no  independence." 

"  But  I  remember  your  saying  to  me  once  that 
what  you  especially  admired  in  our  best  American 
girls,  was  their  ability  to  unite  intelligence  and  cul 
tivation  with  perfect  refinement." 

"  It  is  one  thing  to  be  cultivated,  another  to  use 
one's  mind,"  answered  Clay,  sententiously. 

"You  are  as  bad  as  my  cousin,  who  has  been 
hauling  us  all  over  the  coals  because  we  are  too  civil- 


PACK    TO   FACE.  133 

ized.  She  expected  to  find  us  eating  buffalo  steak, 
as  Willoughby  says,  and  is  disappointed.  She  de 
clares  there  is  very  little  difference  between  Bellevue 
Avenue  and  Hyde  Park.  I  wonder  what  she  will 
say  to  you,  for  you  are  more  English  than  even 
You  ought  to  consider  that  a  great  compliment," 
added  Mrs.  Willoughby,  "for  Englishmen  of  a  cer 
tain  class  are  the  best  looking  and  the  best  dressed 
set  of  men  in  the  world." 

"  The  young  person  I  was  just  speaking  of  took 
me  for  an  Englishman.  If  you  will  believe  it,  she 
wished  to  know  if  I  were  an  earl  or  a  baronet. 
Wasn't  it  a  joke  ?  Probably  she  had  never  met  a 
well-dressed  American  before  in  her  life." 

"  It  was  amusing.  But  it  only  shows  how  little 
difference  iherc  is  between  our  best  and  their  best. 
Did  you  tell  her  who  you  were  ?  " 

''No,"  answered  Clay  ;  "what  was  the  use  ?  Be 
sides,  my  not  doing  so  gave  her  an  opportunity  to 
wrap  herself  in  the  American  flag.  You  should  have 
heard  her  talk  about  this  country.  All  the  spread- 
eagleism  I  have  ever  listened  to  before  was  nothing 
to  it.  Everything  was  perfect,  and  the  men  and 
women  to  a  unit  were  great-souled.  When  I  came 
to  question  her,  however,  I  found  that,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  her  trip  abroad,  she  had  never  travelled, 
never  been  to  New  York,  or  Boston,  or  Washington, 
or  even  Chicago.  Of  course  here  was  my  opportu 
nity,  for  she  had  extremely  ideal  views  of  all  these 
cities,  notwithstanding.  I  fancy  she  won't  forget  in 
a  hurry  the  ideas  I  gave  her,  whatever  she  may  have 


134  FACE   TO  FACE, 

felt  at  the  time.  I  told  her  that  New  York  young 
ladies  were  not  in  the  habit  of  addressing  men  who 
had  not  been  introduced  to  them." 

"  How  delightful !  What  did  she  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  She  declared  that  Englishmen  were  prejudiced 
and  unable  to  appreciate  Americans.  She  said  that 
we — that  is  the  English — wished  to  make  them  bow 
down  again  to  forms  and  ceremonies,  and  she  rhap 
sodized  a  good  deal  about  hungry  souls,  and  not 
being  satisfied  with  the  golden  calf  of  Mammon." 

"  I  fail  to  see  what  you  found  so  very  attractive 
about  her." 

"  She  was  unusually  good-looking,  to  begin  with." 

"  You  men  always  make  so  much  of  that.  But 
there  are  plenty  of  pretty  girls  at  home." 

"  Her  beauty  was  only  one  half,  I  admit.  Her 
enthusiasm  fascinated  me.  She  seemed  so  thor 
oughly  in  earnest  even  when  she  talked  the  veriest 
nonsense.  And  then,  too,  there  is  some  truth  in 
what  she  said  about  foi^ms  and  ceremonies.  I  could 
not  help  envying  her  her  emancipation  from  the 
petty  and  machine-like  conventionalities  to  which 
we  are  subjected.  So  few  of  us  dare  call  our  souls 
our  own,  even  if  we  are  ready  to  admit  that  we  have 
any.  We  are  slaves  to  the  critical  faculties  of  our 
contemporaries.  We  are  afraid  to  stray  beyond 
certain  limits,  lest  we  be  thought  peculiar." 

"  Positively,  you  are  eloquent.  We  shall  hear  of 
you  next  in  Kansas,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"Ah,  no.  I  am  simply  giving  voice  to  my  feeble 
wail  and  protest  before  falling  into  line  again, 


TO 

Why  is  it  that  breeding  and  luxury,  and  generations 
of  ancestors  tend  to  make  us  all  mere  machines — 
conservative  is  the  euphemistic  term — and  vice  versa, 
why  should  those  whose  fingers  grip  the  window- 
sills  of  heaven  as  it  were,  be  so  frightfully  uncon 
ventional  ?  If,  as  you  insinuate,  I  were  to  marry 
that  young  person,  her  '  what  say  ? '  and  her  4  real 
elegant '  would  suffice  to  make  me  wretched  for  the 
rest  of  my  life ;  and  yet  I  know  within  my  secret 
soul  that  she  is  worth  six  of  me  in  the  genuine 
nobility  of  her  character.  You  needn't  look  so 
alarmed,  for  there  is  no  danger  of  my  doing  any 
thing  ridiculous.  I  haven't  the  moral  courage,  and 
I  don't  feel  at  all  sure  that  I  wish  I  had.  When  I 
think  of  the  hat  and  ulster  she  was  attired  in,  I  see 
nothing  else,  and  if  her  own  eyes  were  to  be  opened 
to  their  significance,  I  suppose  she  would  become 
just  like  the  rest  of  us.  It  is  only  a  question  of  time 
when  they  all  do.  Our  great  grandmothers  were 
practically  what  the  people  of  the  West  are  to-day. 
The  buffalo  and  Daisy  Miller  must  both  become  ex 
tinct,  a  reflection  not  altogether  consoling  to  ideal 
ists." 

"  I  assure  you,  Mr.  Clay,  my  great-grandmother 
was  nothing  of  the  sort.  You  may  say  she  was  an 
ape,  or  a  Puritan,  or  any  other  of  the  disagreeable 
creatures  we  are  told  we  are  descended  from,  but, 
emphatically,  she  was  not  a  Daisy  Miller.  How 
queer  you  are  this  morning  !  That  young  person 
has  given  you  a  severe  shock." 

"  No,  she  has  merely  set  me  wondering,  a  little 


136  FACE    TO 

more  seriously  than  before,  what  I  am  going  to  do 
with  myself  now  that  I  have  got  home.  The  dis 
ease  is  an  old  one,  as  you  know." 

"You  live  too  much  alone,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby. 
"Your  mind  needs  diversion  to  prevent  it  from 
preying  on  itself.  I  will  provide  you  with  an  occu 
pation.  Make  yourself  agreeable  to  my  cousin." 

"It  is  well  to  be  off  with  the  old  love — you  are 
familiar  with  the  adage." 

"You  admit  then  that  you  are  touched?"  she 
asked. 

"I  admit  nothing,  as  my  fair  adversary  said  when 
1  taxed  her  with  an  avowal  of  unladylike  behavior. 
Seriously,  though,  I  did  pace  the  deck  of  the  Brit 
annic  for  hours  after  the  single  interview  I  had 
with  her,  rr.y  soul  in  the  seventh  heaven.  Midnight 
caught  me  peering  at  the  stars  with-— but  what  is 
the  matter  ? " 

"Nothing.  A  pin  must  have  pricked  me.  How 
interesting !  But  I  didn't  know  you  came  by  the 
Britannic." 

"  I  wouldn't  come  by  any  other  steamer,"  said 
Clay. 

A  deep  flush  had  crimsoned  Mrs.  Willqughby's 
cheek.  "Did  -she  tell  you  her  name?"  she  in 
quired. 

"  The  young  person  ?  No,  and  1  forgot  to  look 
at  the  passenger  list." 

"  And  you  say  she  spoke  to  you  without  your 
being  introduced  to  her  ? " 

"  Yes,  and  followed  me  all  over  the  ship  like  a 


FACE   TO  FACE.  1 37 

tame    dog  before  that     I   don't  wonder  you   are 
shocked.     I  was  myself." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  abruptly  changed  the  subject 
and  began  to  rattle  off  a  quantity  of  society  gossip. 
She  declared  that  Newport  was  more  than  usually 
gay,  and  she  enumerated  a  list  of  the  events  for  the 
coming  fortnight  ;  but  though  very  voluble,  she 
talked  nervously,  and  answered  her  visitor's  ques 
tions  as  if  she  were  distrait.  This  was  scarcely  sur 
prising  under  the  circumstances,  for  of  a  sudden  the 
awful  suspicion  had  occurred  to  her  that  this  extra 
ordinary  individual  whom  her  visitor  had  been  de 
scribing  might  be  Evelyn.  It  seemed  too  dreadful 
to  believe,  but  the  similarity  between  certain  facts 
relating  to  both  was  striking.  Each  had  been  with 
out  a  chaperone,  each  had  been  taken  sick  after  the 
second  day  out,  and — most  cruel  testimony  of  all, 
which,  seemingly  harmless  when  it  was  uttered,  had 
grown  more  portentous  every  moment  since — each 
had  worn  a  peculiar  hat  and  ulster.  But  no,  such 
a  theory  was  preposterous.  She  argued  that  Eve 
lyn  could  not  have  been  so  misguided,  so  void  of 
all  regard  for  propriety.  Then,  too,  her  cousin  was 
English,  not  an  American,  and  was  it  within  the 
bounds  of  possibility  that  she  could  have  been  mis 
taken  for  an  American  ?  Nevertheless,  Mrs.  Wil 
loughby  could  not  help  recalling  Evelyn's  strange 
allusion  to  Kansas,  and  her  own  questionings.  She 
said  to  herself  that  it  could  not  be  true  that  Evelyn 
was  identical  with  Mr.  Clay's  fellow-passenger,  and 
yet  she  felt  that  she  would  sacrifice  a  great  deal  to 


138  FACE    TO  FACE. 

be  sure  that  the  coincidence  was  false.  They  had 
crossed  the  ocean  on  the  same  ship.  Of  this  there 
could  be  no  doubt.  She  appreciated  that,  if  her 
suspicions  were  correct,  she  must  renounce  her 
dreams  of  bringing  them  together,  and  renounce 
the  half-realized  hopes  which  she  had  cherished  of 
making  her  cousin  the  sensation  of  the  coming 
winter.  Or  rather,  her  cousin  would  cause  a  sensa 
tion,  but  of  a  very  different  character  from  what  had 
been  anticipated. 

While  Mrs.  Willoughby  thus  cast  the  probabili 
ties  as  to  the  correctness  of  her  unhappy  conject 
ure,  prattling  away  meantime,  a  sudden  inspiration 
seized  her. 

"Excuse  me  one  moment,"  she  said  to  Mr.  Clay, 
who  had  just  risen  with  the  intention  of  taking  his 
leave.  "  I  want  to  ask  youropinion  aboutsomething." 

She  went  into  the  house,  and  instantly  reappeared 
in  the  garments  which  she  had  induced  Evelyn  to 
discard. 

"  You  are  a  man  of  taste,  and  fresh  from  London, 
as  well  as  an  old  friend,"  she  said.  "  My  dressmaker 
— eh — that  is,  I  have  just  received  these  from  the 
other  side.  Tell  me,  are  they  really  the  fashion  ? 
Are  they  much  worn  ?  " 

Clay  gazed  at  her  in  manifest  astonishment. 
"  From  London,"  he  faltered. 

He  was  too  politic  a  man,  however,  not  to  recover 
instantly  his  self-possession.  "  I  did  not  stop  in 
London  on  my  return,"  he  said  ;  "  but  why  have  you 
any  doubts  ? " 


FACE   TO  FACE.  139 

"  Merely,  I  did  not  care  for  them  much,"  she  an 
swered,  with  apparent  indifference. 

A  moment  later  he  was  gone,  and  she  was  sitting 
aghast,  and  with  every  disposition  to  burst  into 
tears.  She  felt  that  there  was  scarcely  room  for 
question,  now,  that  it  was  Evelyn  of  whom  he  had 
been  speaking.  Evidently  the  hat  and  ulster  were 
a  spurious  fashion.  What  was  she  to  do  ?  As  soon 
as  Mr.  Clay's  eyes  were  opened  to  the  truth,  the 
story  would  spread  like  wild  fire.  And  if  her  cousin 
had  been  capable  of  the  mad  conduct  described, 
how  was  it  possible  to  feel  any  assurance  as  to  vyhat 
she  might  do  in  future. 

However,  Mrs.  Willoughby  was  not  a  woman  to 
give  way  to  despair.  She  had  set  her  heart  on 
Evelyn  being  a  success.  She  soon  appreciated, 
therefore,  that  she  must  make  the  best  of  the  situa 
tion,  however  distressing.  She  reflected  that,  after 
all,  a  girl  might  be  more  or  less  peculiar  with  im 
punity,  provided  she  were  fashionable  ;  and  that, 
though  she  had  expected  her  cousin  to  be  especially 
elegant  and  conservative,  there  was  undoubtedly  a 
certain  novelty  in  the  idea  of  the  sister  of  an  Eng 
lish  countess  figuring  as  a  hoyden,  that  might  com 
mend  itself  to  many  minds.  But  far  more  comfort 
ing  was  the  remembrance  that  Mr.  Clay  had  spoken 
of  the  fascination  Evelyn  had  exerted  over  him.  It 
might  be  that  this  premature  meeting  had  stirred 
his  imagination  in  a  way  that  no  formal  introduc 
tion  would  have  done.  It  was  evident  Evelyn  had 
interested  him,  and  the  question  was  as  to  how  this 


140  FACE   TO  FACE. 

fancy  would  be  affected  by  a  disclosure  of  the  truth 
Well  as  she  knew  Ernest  Clay,  Mrs.  Willoughby 
had  always  been  a  little  puzzled  by  him.  At  times 
he  was  very  odd,  and  talked  to  her  in  a  strain  not 
unlike  that  which  he  had  adopted  the  present  morn 
ing.  She  felt  that  there  was  no  telling  but  that 
these  eccentricities  of  Evelyn's  might  be  the  very 
traits  to  captivate  him.  He  had  complained  that 
the  "young  person  "  lacked  the  social  graces.  But 
when  he  should  learn  that  Evelyn  could  assume 
them  when  she  chose,  and  that  she  did  not  belong 
in  Kansas,  was  there  not  a  reasonable  probability  of 
his  becoming  still  further  attracted  ?  Clutched  at 
as  a  straw  by  a  drowning  man,  this  idea  became, 
the  more  she  dwelt  on  it,  an  abiding  hope. 

The  sight  of  Evelyn,  however,  was  sufficient  to 
reanimate  her  indignation,  and  centre  her  thoughts 
again  on  the  cruel  upheaval  of  all  the  plans  which 
she  had  carefully  arranged  for  the  entertainment  of 
her  guest,  and  the  satisfaction  of  her  own  pride. 
If  there  was  one  thing  Mrs.  Willoughby  plumed 
herself  on,  it  was  avoidance  in  her  manner  of  living 
of  all  that  could  be  considered  sensational  or  ultra. 
Her  establishments  were  models  of  exquisite  com 
fort  and  good  taste,  and  her  intimate  friends  were 
people  one  of  whose  chief  objects  in  life  was  to 
keep  out  of  the  newspapers.  Hence,  although  able 
to  appreciate  that  her  cousin's  eccentricity  might 
be  regarded  in  some  households  as  desirable,  it  was 
a  bitter  humiliation  to  Mrs.  Willoughby  to  feel  that 
one  whom  she  had  introduced  was  likely  to  attract 


FACE    TO   FACE.  141 

attention  by  other  than  very  aristocratic  and  con 
servative  ways.  It  seemed  almost  wiser  to  send  her 
home  than  to  let  her  succeed  on  such  a  basis.  But 
still  there  was  Mr.  Clay  to  be  considered. 

She  followed  Evelyn  up-stairs,  and  tapped  on  the 
door  of  her  room.  She  meant  to  be  composed,  but 
explicit. 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  that  Mr.  Clay  was  on 
board  the  Britannic,  my  dear  ?  "  she  asked,  after  a 
few  moments. 

"  There  was  a  Mr.  Clay,  but  I  did  not  know  that  he 
was  your  Mr.  Clay,"  Evelyn  answered,  with  a  flush. 

"  Then  it  is  true  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  so.  Cousin  Clara,  though  I'm  not 
quite  sure  what  you  refer  to." 

"  Your  behavior — your  asking  for  his  newspapers, 
and — eh — following  him  about  like  a  tame  dog." 

"  Was  that  what  he  said  ? "  exclaimed  Evelyn, 
with  a  laugh.  "  I  cannot,  unfortunately,  contradict 
him." 

"  Oh,  Evelyn  !  How  could  you  have  done  such 
a  thing  ?  What  was  your  motive,  your  purpose  ? 
Surely  it  is  not  your  habit  to  address  gentlemen  who 
are  strangers  to  you  ?  " 

"  No,  Cousin  Clara,  I  never  did  such  a  thing  be 
fore.  Let  me  relieve  your  mind  at  once  on  that 
score — I  do  know  better." 

"  I  should  hope  so.  What  was  the  matter  ?  Were 
you  out  of  your  senses  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"  I  don't  wonder  it  seems  so  to  you  now.  No,  I 
did  it  deliberately  enough,  and  with  ray  eyes  open, 


142  FACE   TO  FACE. 

I  took  him  for  an  Englishman,  and  was  trying  to 
behave  as  I  thought  an  American  girl  would  behave 
in  the  hope  of  shocking  him.  How  much  has  he 
told  you  ?" 

"Very  little,  except  in  a  general  way.  I  cannot 
see  where  you  have  got  such  ideas  of  this  country. 
An  American  girl  ?  As  I  have  told  you  already,  no 
girl  who  wished  to  be  thought  a  lady  could  possibly 
act  so.  Come,  tell  me  the  whole  story,  and  let  me 
hear  the  worst." 

"  Does  he  know  that  it  was  I  ?" 

"  Not  yet,  though  he  may  have  been  put  on  his 
guard  by  seeing  your  hat  and  ulster,  which  I  showed 
him  in  order  to  make  sure  that  it  was  you  to  whom 
he  referred.  Where  did  you  get  those  things,  Eve 
lyn  ?" 

"  I  bought  them  just  before  I  sailed.  The  shop 
man  assured  me  they  were  the  latest  American 
style." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  groaned. 

"  I  felt  sure  there  was  something  wrong  about 
them  the  first  moment  I  set  eyes  on  you.  Well, 
how  did  it  all  begin  ? " 

Evelyn  was  silent  a  moment.  "You  see,  Cousin 
Clara,  as  I  said  to  you  this  morning,  I  have  always 
had  an  idea  that  the  customs  in  the  United  States 
were  very  different  from  those  at  home.  I  had 
formed  my  opinion  of  what  an  American  girl  would 
be  like,  and  as  the  dream  of  my  life  for  years  has 
been  to  pay  a  visit  to  this  country,  I  carried  my  en- 
thusiasm  so  far  as  to  try  to  illustrate  my  theory. 


FACE   TO  FACE.  143 

That  was  why  I  didn't  turn  back  when  Mr.  Brock 
was  delayed,  and  why  I  behaved  as  I  did  in  regard  to 
Mr.  Clay.  I  took  him  for  a  countryman  of  my  own, 
and  thought  it  would  be  amusing  to  make  him  open 
his  eyes.  I  succeeded  only  too  well,  for  he  changed 
his  seat  at  table  because  I  asked  him  to  pass  the 
butter,  and  chose  the  same  quarter  of  the  ship  from 
which  to  watch  the  sunset.  The  next  morning, 
while  we  were  sitting  near  each  other  on  deck,  I 
borrowed  his  newspapers,  which  seemed  to  annoy 
him  so  much  that  he  was  on  the  point  of  changing 
his  seat  again,  when  a  gust  of  wind  blew  both  our 
hats  off.  That  broke  the  ice.  We  had  a  lengthy 
discussion.  He  ran  this  country  down  and  I  praised 
it.  He  took  it  for  ranted  that  I  came  from  Kan- 


"That  is  just  the  way  a  Kansas  girl  would  be 
have,"  interjected  Mrs.  Wiiloughby. 

"  So  Mr.  Clay  informed  me.  He  gave  me  a  great 
deal  of  good  advice  as  to  mending  my  manners. 
Unfortunately,  I  was  taken  sick,  and  never  saw  him 
again  until  just  before  we  landed,  when  he  concluded 
not  to  recognize  me.  But  in  the  meanwhile  the 
stewardess  had  told  me  who  he  was.  I  have  never 
been  more  surprised  at  anything  in  my  life  than 
when  I  heard  he  was  an  American." 

"  Is  that  the  whole  ?  '  asked  Mrs.  Wiiloughby. 

"  All  I  can  remember.  Has  he  made  any  other 
accusations  ?  " 

"  He  didn't  go  into  particulars.  It's  dreadful, 
Evelyn,  and  I  don't  see  how  it  could  be  much  worse. 


144  FACE    TO  FACE. 

What  a  blessing  you  were  taken  sick  !  The  curious 
part  of  it  is,  that  he  was  fascinated  by  you  in  spite 
of  himself,"  Mrs.  Willoughby  added  reflectively. 
"That  was  how  I  found  out  about  the  matter.  He 
happened  to  say  that  you  "had  haunted  him  ever  since. 
He  isn  t  a  man  who  is  apt  to  think  twice  of  any  girl. 
It's  more  than  you  deserve,  but  there  is  no  doubt 
you  excited  his  curiosity.  Of  course,  it  was  the 
contrast  between  what  you  really  are  and  what  you 
were  pretending  to  be  that  interested  him,  and  the 
question  is  as  to  how  he  will  feel  when  he  discovers 
that  you  are  just  like  everybody  else." 

"  Do  you  think  I  am  like  everybody  else  ?  " 
Mrs.  Willoughby  looked  up  anxiously. 
"  You  can  be  if  you  choose.  Didn't  you  promise 
me  this  morning  to  be  good  ?  Once  for  all,  Evelyn, 
do  put  an  end  to  this  nonsense.  If  you  will  only 
behave  here  as  your  sisters  would  at  home,  you  are 
sure  to  be  admired.  Everybody  does  admire  you 
already ;  which  makes  this  performance  with  Mr. 
Clay  all  the  more  unfortunate.  If  he  chooses  to  talk 
about  it,  we  can't  help  ourselves,  but  I  have  hopes 
he  will  hold  his  tongue.  You  see,  after  all,  it  would 
seem  ridiculous  to  most  people  that  he  could  have 
tal  en  you  for  an  American,  and  our  best  course,  in 
case  he  does,  is  to  pretend  that  the  whole  thing  was 
a  joke  and  so  turn  the  laugh  on  him.  But  I  feel 
confident,  the  more  I  think  it  over,  that  he  won't  say 
anything  about  it,  especially  if,  as  he  tells  me,  you 
attracted  him  notwithstanding  your  strange  con 
duct" 


FACE   TO  FACE.  1 45 

"  He  had  a  strange  way  of  showing  it,"  said  Eve- 
Jyn.  "  I  must  say  frankly,  Cousin  Clara,  I  am  not 
prepossessed  in  Mr.  Clay's  favor." 

"  Why,  my  dear,  you  couldn't  expect  him  to  show 
his  best  side  under  the  circumstances.  He  was 
completely  shocked,  and  I  think  he  acted  extremely 
well.  He  seems  to  have  talked  to  you  for  some 
time." 

"  Yes,  and  he  cut  me  dead  when  he  saw  me  next. 
Do  you  call  that  good  manners  ? " 

"  You  are  hardly  the  one  to  criticise  on  the  score 
of  manners,  I  think,"  said  Mrs.  Pimlico,  a  little 
dryly.  "  Mr.  Clay  is  considered  one  of  our  leading 
young  men.  You  would  be  very  foolish  to  become 
prejudiced  against  him  on  account  of  any  such  trifle. 
Stranger  things  have  happened  than  that  he  should 
take  a  serious  fancy  to  you." 

"  I  trust  he  will  not,  for  I  am  confident  I  shall  not 
like  him,"  Evelyn  answered,  bluntly. 

"  Six  million  dollars  are  not  to  be  despised." 

"No,  Cousin  Clara,  I  am  beginning  to  appreciate 
that  they  are  not — in  this  country  as  well  as  at  home. 
People  here  marry  for  money,  then  ? " 

"  How  abrupt  you  are  !  Of  course  not  But  one 
must  have  money  in  order  to  be  married.  There  is 
no  sense  in  refusing  a  man  simply  because  he  is 
well  off.  Love  in  a  cottage  is  all  very  well,  pro 
vided  the  cottage  is  built  in  the  Queen  Anne  style. 
You  should  look  at  the  world  as  it  is,  my  dear,  and 
not  as  you  imagine  it  to  be.  We  are  neither  savages 
nor  are  we  swains  and  milkmaids.  If  you  are  wise, 
10 


146  FACE  TO  FACE. 

you  will  make  the  most  of  Mr.  Clay's  attentions,  and 
not  trouble  yourself  about  what  answer  you  will 
give  him  until  he  asks  you." 

Evelyn  flushed  and  laughed. 

"  I  wasn't  thinking  of  myself  when  I  spoke. 
There  is  not  the  least  danger  of  my  being  placed 
in  such  a  disagreeable  position." 

"  One  can  never  tell.  He  says,  dear,  you  have 
ideas.  You  certainly  have,  and  a  great  many  of 
them  are  very  queer.  However,  I  wouldn't  try  to 
be  too  proper  all  at  once.  Let  him  get  accustomed 
to  the  transformation  by  degrees.  You  will  promise 
me  not  to  indulge  in  any  more  freaks  on  your  own 
responsibility  ?  I  am  sure  you  mean  well,  but 
really  you  don't  know  anything  about  us  yet." 

"  I  will  try.  You  mustn't  be  disappointed,  though, 
Cousin  Clara,  if  Mr.  Clay  and  I  don't  get  on." 

"  I,  child  ?  It  makes  no  difference  to  me.  If  you 
prefer  to  go  home  and  marry  some  poor  curate,  it 
is  your  own  lookout,"  Mrs.  Willoughby  said,  as  she 
passed  out  of  the  room. 

After  she  was  gone  Evelyn  sat  for  some  while 
pensive.  Life  had  grown  very  complex  to  her. 


VIII. 

CLAY  got  no  inkling  of  the  real  truth  from  Mrs. 
Willoughby's  behavior,  although  he  recognized 
the  hat  and  ulster  as  identical  in  pattern  with  those 
worn  by  the  peculiar  young  person  he  had  encoun 
tered  on  the  voyage  home.  He  was  merely  con 
scious  that  he  had  done  the  latter  wrong  in  presum 
ing  her  garments  to  be  of  domestic  manufacture,  a 
small  enough  matter  when  the  rest  of  her  conduct 
was  taken  into  account.  He  was  rather  surprised 
at  his  mistake,  being  accustomed  to  consider  his 
judgment  infallible  as  to  questions  of  toilet,  but  he 
made  the  reflection  that  the  taste  of  the  English 
was  apt  to  be  erratic,  and  he  had  had  no  opportunity 
to  observe  the  current  style  in  London.  Then  he 
dismissed  the  matter  from  his  thoughts. 

He  was  much  more  interested  in  the  confession 
he  had  made  to  Mrs.  Willoughby,  not  by  reason  of 
any  effect  it  might  have  on  her,  but  as  disclosing 
his  own  state  of  mind.  Whenever  he  was  in  doubt 
as  to  what  he  did  believe  regarding  any  subject, 
Clay  had  a  way  of  finding  someone  who  would  lis 
ten  to  him  talk,  with  the  result  that  at  the  close  of 
the  interview  he  had  generally  cleared  up  his  diffi 
culty.  In  other  words,  he  preferred  to  do  his  think- 


148  FACE   TO  FACE. 

ing  aloud,  which  is  an  unnatural  process  where 
there  is  no  audience.  Mrs.Willoughby  was  one  of  the 
women  whom  he  was  most  apt  to  seek  on  such  occa 
sions,  and  consequently  they  were  cordial  friends. 
Her  elegance  of  manner  and  appearance  were  ex 
actly  in  keeping  with  his  standard.  He  found  her, 
as  well,  a  charming  companion,  with  an  excellent 
appreciation  of  how  to  seem  to  know  all  about  a 
given  topic  by  dint  of  having  read  a  paragraph  re 
lating  to  it  in  the  newspaper.  This  semblance  of 
intellectuality  ingratiated  without  deceiving  him. 
He  knew  she  was  shallow,  but  what  he  required 
was  sympathy,  not  depth.  She  read  all  the  book  re 
views,  even  if  she  did  not  read  the  books,  and  could 
talk  ologies  and  osophies  with  him  by  the  hour. 
Moreover,  her  instinct  in  social  matters  was  indis 
putable. 

Hence,  he  was  always  polite  and  attentive  to  her 
in  society,  and  punctilious  about  dropping  in  at  her 
five  o'clock  tea.  In  return  for  his  psychological 
confidences  she  invited  him  to  her  pleasantest  din 
ners,  and  manifested  a  sort  of  motherly  interest  in 
getting  him  a  wife ;  for,  although  but  just  thirty- 
three,  she  posed  as  a  ruin.  She  was  quite  aware, 
however,  that  there  was  no  sentimentality  between 
them.  Indeed,  anything  of  the  sort  would  have 
been  quite  inconsistent  with  the  thorough  satisfac- 
toriness  of  their  relations. 

Clay's  delay  in  coming  to  Newport  since  his  ar 
rival  had  been  occasioned  by  business  affairs.  It 
was  necessary  to  reinvest  the  surplus  of  his  income 


FACE    TO  FACE.  149 

which  had  been  accumulating  during  his  absence, 
and  it  had  chanced  to  come  to  his  ears  on  the  day 
after  landing  that  a  controlling  interest  in  the  stock 
of  the  manufacturing  company  whose  works  were 
situated  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  father's  old 
country-seat  on  the  Hudson  was  in  the  market. 
The  Mr.  Brock  to  whom  reference  has  been  made 
already  had  there  established,  some  years  before, 
two  companies  side  by  side,  the  Clyme  Valley  Mills, 
in  which  Clay  was  a  holder,  and  the  Wisabet. 
Each  had  prospered  exceedingly  ;  but  Mr.  Brock 
being  about  to  engage  in  new  enterprises,  was  de 
sirous  to  dispose  of  his  own  interest  in  the  first- 
named,  retaining  control  of  the  Wisabet.  At  the 
instigation  of  his  financial  advisers,  Clay  accordingly 
had  come  to  terms  with  Mr.  Brock's  brokers. 

Although  quite  aware  that  he  had  but  to  show 
himself  in  order  to  become  a  social  lion  by  virtue 
of  his  long  absence,  the  thought  of  taking  up  again 
the  familiar  round  of  fashionable  Newport  life  had 
rather  bored  Clay  when  he  found  himself,  after  hav 
ing  kissed  his  mother  that  morning,  confronted 
with  the  problem  of  what  he  should  do.  Mrs.  Clay 
had  begun  almost  immediately  to  twit  him  on  his 
single  condition,  and  to  string  off  a  list  of  the  desir 
able  young  women  who  had  come  to  the  front  while 
he  had  been  away.  It  was  the  consciousness  that 
he  was  tired  of  being  a  bachelor  which  made  her 
solicitude  all  the  more  goading  ;  but  somehow  the 
idea  of  choosing  a  wife  of  the  type  his  mother  had 
in  mind  seemed  less  acceptable  than  ever. 


ISO  FACE  TO  FACE. 

Not  even  the  glowing  account  she  gave  him  of 
Mrs.  Willoughby's  cousin  was  sufficient  to  rouse 
his  curiosity.  He  listened  with  an  indifferent  ear  to 
the  description  of  the  charming  stranger's  great 
beauty,  and  of  how  she  had  ridden  neck  and  neck 
with  Marian  Bydoon  and  beaten  her  at  the  last 
fence,  although  she  had  never  before  in  her  life  fol 
lowed  the  hounds.  He  guessed  pretty  well  what 
sort  of  a  girl  she  would  be.  However,  Mrs.  Wil- 
loughby  would  expect  him  to  call  on  her  guest,  he 
reflected,  and  as  her  dinner  invitation  had  to  be  an 
swered,  he  concluded  that  he  would  save  himself  the 
trouble  of  writing  a  note  and  kill  the  forenoon  at 
the  same  time  by  going  up  to  Little  Court.  He  had 
hardly  decided  when  he  set  out  from  his  own  house 
whether  he  would  dine  with  her  or  betake  himself 
to  New  York  again  on  the  plea  of  business  and  im 
mure  himself  in  his  club. 

His  acceptance  was  the  natural  result  of  his  neu 
tral  frame  of  mind,  flattered  into  complaisance  by 
Mrs.  Willoughby's  evident  gratification  at  seeing 
him.  He  had  rather  enjoyed  airing  his  incubations, 
and  it  had  not  disturbed  him  in  the  least  that  she 
had  seemed  unable  to  understand  his  meaning  and 
somewhat  inclined  to  be  suspicious  of  it.  There 
fore,  although  he  said  to  himself  on  the  following 
morning  that  it  would  be  civil  to  try  again  to  find 
Miss  Pimlico  at  home,  inasmuch  as  he  was  to  dine 
there  later  in  the  day,  he  might  not  have  regarded 
this  act  of  politeness  as  necessary  had  he  not  felt 
the  desire  to  sift  his  reflections  a  little  further. 


FACE   TO  FACE.  !$! 

Being  an  intimate  of  the  family,  he  felt  quite  at 
liberty,  while  the  servant  had  gone  to  announce  his 
visit,  to  stroll  around  the  corner  in '.  search  of  the 
fresh  breeze  which  he  knew  he  would  find  there. 
Suddenly  he  stopped  short,  being  brought  face  to 
face  with  a  young  lady  reclining  in  a  hammock 
reading,  who  started  up  at  his  intrusion  and  sprang 
to  her  feet. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  Clay  ejaculated.  "  Is  Mrs. 
Pimlico  at  home  ?  " 

The  young  lady's  face  was  familiar,  but  it  took  a 
moment  for  him  to  realize  the  full  significance  of 
the  truth,  which  dawned  on  him  at  last  in  an  awful 
flash.  His  mental  confusion  was  swift  and  over 
whelming.  But  Evelyn  had  recognized  him  in 
stantly,  and  after  the  first  start,  had  schooled  her 
self  so  far  as  to  assume  an  air  of  extreme  dignity. 

"  I  will  tell  Mrs.  Pimlico,"  she  said,  and  she  turned 
to  pass  in  through  the  open  window. 

"  Eh The  servant  has  gone  to  announce  me," 

he  replied,  as  if  to  detain  her. 

Evelyn  looked  back  at  him,  and  bending  her  head 
without  the  slightest  recognition,  said  :  "  If  you  will 
take  a  seat,  she  will  be  down  presently,  I  think." 
Whereupon  she  stepped  inside  the  house. 

Clay  stood  for  an  instant  irresolute,  his  cheeks 
the  color  of  scarlet.  Then  he  followed  her  into  the 
room  just  in  time  to  prevent  her  from  going  up-stairs. 

'•  Miss  Pimlico,"  he  said,  abruptly,  "  I  have  made 

a  terrible  mistake.  I  have  been  very  rude — I " 

He  stopped  short,  apparently  feeling  that  au  apology 


I  $2  FACE    TO   FACE. 

was  likely  only  to  make  matters  worse.  "  I  am-^ 
eh — I  am  Mr.  Clay.  We  made  a  passage  together, 
you  remember." 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  said.  "Won't  you  sit  down,  Mr. 
Clay  ? " 

He  took  a  chair,  still  more  abashed  by  the  for 
mality  of  her  manner.  She  looked  for  all  the  world 
like  a  duchess.  Still,  there  was  no  use,  he  reflected, 
in  losing  his  head.  What  was  done,  was  done,  and 
he  must  make  the  best  of  the  situation.  There  was, 
after  all,  a  humorous  side  to  the  predicament,  and 
not  much  was  to  be  gained  by  looking  at  the  affair 
too  seriously.  Since  she  preferred  to  ignore  their 
former  acquaintance,  he  might  as  well  be  oblivious 
also.  He  felt,  however,  as  if  he  xvould  be  glad  to  know 
whether  she  were  really  angry.  She  had  seated  her 
self  and  having  picked  up  some  embroidery  work 
from  the  table  was  calmly  plying  her  needle  as 
though  she  appreciated  the  superiority  of  her  posi 
tion  and  that  she  held  him  at  her  mercy. 

"  Beautiful  weather  we  are  having,  Mr.  Clay,"  she 
observed,  with  an  air  of  wishing  to  be  polite. 

He  took  his  cue. 

"  Charming." 

"And  there  seems  to  be  a  great  deal  going  on  this 
summer." 

"So  I  am  given  to  understand." 

"Newport  is  a  lovely  place." 

"It  is  looking  unusually  well." 

"  There  was  plenty  of  rain  early  in  the  season,  I 
believe,  so  that  the  foliage  is  not  wilted," 


FACE   TO  FACE.  1 53 

"  Yes,  I  believe  so." 

There  was  a  pause,  and  then  Mrs.  Willoughby 
glided  into  the  room.  "  Delighted  to  see  you,"  she 
said  to  Clay.  She  glanced  quickly  from  the  one  to 
the  other.  "You  two  have  met  before,  I  believe, 
and  need  no  introduction,"  she  observed,  with  a 
laugh.  "  If  you  will  excuse  me,  Mr.  Clay,  for  a  few 
moments,  I  should  like  to  answer  a  note  I  have  just 
received." 

She  disappeared,  and  they  were  left  facing  each 
other  as  before.  The  room  was  so  still  Clay  could 
hear  the  clock  ticking.  He  would  have  liked  to  be 
jocose  and  to  treat  the  whole  matter  as  a  jest,  al 
though  still  in  the  dark  as  to  its  precise  explanation  ; 
but  Evelyn's  dignity  appalled  him.  Could  this  exces 
sively  proper  young  lady  be  identical  with  the  hoy 
den  he  had  encountered  on  board  ship  ?  There  was 
no  room  for  doubt,  for  the  features  were  the  same. 
Could  he  have  dreamt  that  she  tracked  him  about 
the  ship,  and  borrowed  his  newspapers,  and  said  she 
came  from  Kansas  ?  For  here  she  was  an  inmate  of 
one  of  the  most  fashionable  houses  in  Newport,  and 
as  insipid  in  her  style  of  conversation  as  a  wall 
flower.  There  was  a  mystery  somewhere  which  he 
was  resolved  to  solve  before  Mrs.  Willoughby's  re 
turn.  There  was  no  explaining  away  the  fact  of 
her  extraordinary  conduct  during  the  passage  on  any 
other  supposition  than  that  he  was  out  of  his  senses 
at  the  time.  Was  it  not  rather  for  her  to  apolo 
gize  than  for  him  ?  The  idea  seemed  plausible  for 
a  moment  ;  but  when  he  thought  of  the  complacent 


154  fACB  TO 

advice  he  had  given  her  as  to  her  style  of  behavior 
and  how  he  had  stared  her  in  the  face  on  the  morn 
ing  the  vessel  reached  port,  he  realized  that  he  was 
in  a  bad  fix,  and  must  eat  crow,  if  he  would  hope 
to  be  forgiven.  The  worst  of  it  was,  she  was  so  beau 
tiful  that  she  could  afford  to  insist  on  his  deep 
humiliation. 

These  thoughts  passed  rapidly  through  his  mind 
during  the  few  moments  that  elapsed  before  he 
found  his  tongue.  Then  he  said :  "  I  am  com 
pletely  in  the  dark,  Miss  Pimlico,  as  to  how  I  made 
such  a  blunder  as  I  appear  to  have  done.  An  apol 
ogy  seems  useless,  out  of  the  question,  until  I  see 
my  way  a  little  clearer.  Tell  me  one  thing :  you 
are  the  same  young  lady  with  whom  I  crossed  on 
the  Britannic  a  fortnight  ago  ?" 

"The  very  same,"  answered  Evelyn,  quietly. 

"And  also  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Pimlico's." 

"Yes." 

"Then  your  home  is  in  England  ?" 

"  It  is.     I  have  lived  there  all  my  life." 

"  Humph  !  This  beats  the  Dutch.  I  am  com 
pletely  befogged.  If  only  you  didn't  look  so  terri 
bly  austere,  Miss  Pimlico,  I  should  burst  out  laugh 
ing — at  myself,  of  course.  But  surely  you  gave  me 
to  understand  you  were  born  in  Kansas  ? " 

"  Excuse  me,  I  think  you  took  it  for  granted  that 
I  was.  I  have  never  been  in  Kansas." 

"  Oh  no,  I  see  it  all  now.  I  have  behaved  like  an 
idiot,  and  allowed  myself  to  be  thoroughly  gulled/' 
he  exclaimed,  "  Well,  I  give  you  permission  to 


FACE   TO  FACE.  155 

laugh  at  me.  It  was  capitally  done.  Then  it  was 
all  make-believe  on  your  part  ?  " 

"  Mistaking  you  for  a  lord,  do  you  mean  ? " 

"  I  suppose  I  have  no  right  to  complain  ;  you  are 
only  having  your  revenge,"  he  answered,  somewhat 
•sheepishly.  "A  lord  !  There  is  no  use  in  denying 
it,  however.  I  did  suppose  you  in  earnest" 

"  So  I  was.  I  thought  you  were  a  baronet  at  the 
very  least." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? " 

"  What  I  have  said.  I  had  no  idea  you  were  an 
American." 

"Really?"  Clay  looked  at  her  doubtfully.  He 
could  not  determine  if  she  were  making  sport  of 
him  or  not 

"  I  had  no  idea  you  were  am  American,  and  what 
is  more,  I  imagined  that  all  girls  in  the  United  States 
were  a  good  deal  like  what  I  appeared  to  be,"  she 
replied  ;  "  but  I  have  found  out  my  error,  thanks 
first  to  you,  and  then  to  my  own  observation. 
Please  accept  my  gratitude." 

Clay  felt  decidedly  confused.  He  would  have 
preferred  almost  to  see  her  angry,  than  so  quietly 
sarcastic  as  she  appeared.  Besides  she  was  as  great 
an  enigma  as  ever. 

"  Then  you  have  changed  your  views  regarding 
us  over  here  ? "  he  asked,  for  the  sake  of  saying 
something. 

"Completely.  What  I  said  on  board  ship  must 
have  sounded  to  you  like  great  nonsense.  You 
were  quite  right ;  the  people  over  here  are  very 


156  FACE   TO  FACE. 

much  the  same  as  those  of  London,  or  Paris,  or 
Vienna,  and  are  becoming  more  so  every  day.  I 
haven't  been  West  yet,  but  I  understand  it  is  merely 
a  question  of  time  when  it  becomes  Europeanized 
als  >.  At  present,  though,  it  is  very  primitive  and 
raw,  is  it  not?" 

"Well,  more  so  than  Newport,  of  course,"  he 
said,  with  a  nervous  laugh. 

"  It  was  very  natural  that  you  should  have  been 
shocked  at  my  behavior,"  she  continued,  "  and 
wished  to  avoid  me.  As  you  well  said,  that  sort  of 
thing,  fortunately,  is  passing  away  in  the  civilized 
port jons  of  the  United  States.  After  trying  to  at 
tract  your  attention,  and  borrowing  your  newspapers 
what  reason  had  I  to  expect  that  you  would  recog 
nize  me  when  we  next  met,  although  we  had  spent 
the  greater  part  of  one  morning  together  ?  I  admit 
that  I  was  rather  surprised  at  the  time,  but  I  can  see 
now  that  you  were  quite  right  ;  for  you  would  have 
compromised  yourself  in  the  eyes  of  any  of  your 
friends  who  happened  to  perceive  you  conversing 
with  me." 

Clay  bit  his  lip.  Her  calm,  almost  judicial  man- 
ner  of  rehearsing  his  opinions  made  him  feel  fool 
ish.  What  was  she  driving  at,  any  way  ? 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  have  hurt  your  feelings,"  he 
said  bluntly. 

She  looked  up  from  her  fancy  work.  "  My  feel- 
ings  ?  You  have  done  nothing  of  the  sort,  I  assure 
you,  Mr.  Clay.  On  the  contrary,  1  fear  that  it  was 
I  who  wounded  your  sensibilities  by  behaving  as  I 


FACE,    TO  FAC&.  1 57 

did.  Only  think,  if  you  were  to  repeat  here,  in  New 
port,  how  I  conducted  myself,  you  could  ruin  my 
reputation  altogether.  But  you  wouldn't,  I'm  sure, 
be  cruel  enough  to  blast  my  chances  of  being  a  suc 
cess.  I  suppose  you've  heard  that  one  of  my  sisters 
is  a  countess,  and  that  another  is  married  tc  Sir 
Edgar  Bradish,  C.B.  ?" 

"  So  Mrs.  Pimlico  informed  me,"  he  answered. 

"  I'm  afraid,  though,  that  even  they  wouldn't  save 
me  if  people  were  to  learn  the  truth.  Consider, 
please,  that  I  am  your  pupil  and  am  doing  my  best  to 
bear  in  mind  all  you  taught  me.  No  one,  I  think, 
would  suspect  me  now  of  coming  from  Kansas." 

Her  tone  was  still  perfectly  serious  ;  but  Clay,  to 
make  a  diversion,  exclaimed  jauntily, <ci  Why,  certain 
ly  not.  It  was  all  a  joke,  of  course.  My  wonder  is 
that  I  didn't  see  through  the  disguise.  I  shall  only 
be  too  glad  not  to  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag.  But 
really,  Miss  Pimlico,  you  mustn't  treat  me  so  cruelly. 
You  forget  that  ridicule  is  much  more  humiliating 
than  rank  abuse." 

"Ridicule,  Mr.  Clay  !  Is  there  no  way  in  which 
I  can  persuade  you  that  I  am  quite  in  earnest  ?  It 
was  no  joke  at  all.  Before  I  left  home,  and  met  you, 
I  had  all  sorts  of  strange  notions.  But  I  am  rapidly 
coming  to  my  senses,  and  shall  be  just  like  every 
body  else  before  long,  if  I  am  not  already.  I  am 
not  laughing  at  you,  I  arn  agreeing  with  you.  If 
you  haven't  confidence  in  me,  ask  Mrs.  Pimlico. 
Here  she  comes." 

"Wh.it  is  it  that  I  am  to  decide?"  inquired  that  lady. 


156  RACE  TO 

"  You  have  arrived  just  in  time  to  save  me  from 
being  completely  put  out  of  countenance  by  Miss 
Pimlico's  satire." 

"  Well,  if  there  ever  was  a  man  who  deserved  to 
be  made  sport  of,  it's  you.  You  have  ruined  your 
repuxafion  as  a  judge  of  character,  mon  ami" 

"  And  made  an  enemy  for  life.  She  won't  permit 
me  to  apologize,  and  she  has  made  me  a  target  for 
the  most  cruel  raillery." 

"  What  have  you  to  say  to  this,  Evelyn  ? "  said 
Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"  I  have  been  endeavoring  to  explain  to  Mr.  Clay 
that  I  have  turned  over  a  new  leaf  since  I  arrived, 
and  he  won't  believe  me." 

"  He  is  afraid,  I  suppose,  that  you  are  trying  to 
play  another  practical  joke  on  him." 

"  Precisely,"  said  Clay. 

"  But  there  hasn't  been  any  joke.  It  was  all 
sheer  earnest,  and  he  persists  in  regarding  it  as 
otherwise,"  exclaimed  Evelyn. 

"You  see  how  obdurate  she  is,  Mrs.  Pimlico. 
She  has  been  bringing  up  rill  the  absurd  speeches  I 
made  during  the  voyage,  and  quoting  them  to  me 
as  choice  bits  of  wisdom.  If  there  is  anything  that 
will  confuse  a  man,  it  is  to  hear  his  own  words  in 
another  person's  mouth." 

"  You  must  give  her  time.  You  can't  expect  to 
be  forgiven  all  at  once,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby,  who 
could  not  quite  make  out  the  drift  of  the  argument. 
But  she  was  anxious  that  Clay  should  regard  the 
episode  as  reflecting  ludicrously  on  himself  rather 


FACE   TO  FAC£.  I $9 

than  as  a  lack  of  dignity  on  her  cousin's  part.  "  I 
will  put  you  next  to  one  another  to-night,"  she  said, 
as  he  rose  to  go,  "and  you  can  fight  it  out." 

Evelyn  courtesied  with  profoundness  but  formal 
ity,  and  after  a  word  of  badinage  between  the  visitor 
and  his  hostess  in  regard  to  an  indifferent  matter, 
Clay  took  his  leave. 

When  the  noise  of  his  dog-cart  on  the  gravel  path 
had  died  away,  Mrs.  Willoughby  glanced  at  Evelyn, 
who  was  still  tranquilly  busy  with  her  embroidery, 
and  said  : 

"  Well,  dear,  what  do  you  think  of  him  ?  Is  he 
so  dreadful  after  all  ?  " 

"  He  is  very  much  as  I  thought  he  would  be,"  she 
answered. 

"  I  call  him  extremely  good-looking.  He  has  im 
proved  in  his  appearance  greatly  during  the  last 
few  years." 

"There  is  very  little  in  common  between  us," 
said  Evelyn,  after  a  pause.  "  We  are  very  different." 

"  It  isn't  necessary  for  two  people  to  be  like  as 
peas  in  order  to  be  friends.  Don't  scientists  say 
that  it  is  better  to  marry  one's  opposite  ?  Take 
Willoughby  and  me,  for  instance.  We  are  very  dis 
similar  in  many  ways.  He  likes  cold  weather,  and 
I'm  never  so  comfortable  as  when  I'm  hot,  and  he 
idolizes  lobster,  while  I  can't  abide  it." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  see  why  you  are  so  anxious  to 
bring  Mr.  Clay  and  me  together,  Cousin  Clara," 
said  Evelyn,  with  a  laugli. 

"  In  the  first  place,  dear,  he  Is,  as  I  have  told  you 


I6O  FACE    TO  FACE. 

before,  one  of  our  pleasantest  young  men,  and  then 
your  meeting  on  the  steamer,  and  all»  were  decided' 
ly  unusual — a  little  romantic,  in  fact.  You  don't 
deserve  to  have  such  a  piece  of  good  luck  happen 
to  you,  for  in  my  opinion  Mr.  Clay  is  just  the  one 
whose  imagination  is  likely  to  be  influenced  by  such 
an  adventure.  A  great  many  men  would  have  been 
disposed  to  fight  shy  of  you  ;  but  the  more  I  think 
of  it,  now  that  he  has  taken  all  the  ridicule  on  him 
self,  the  whole  affair  has  become  highly  interesting. 
It  is  always  desirable  to  have  something  to  start 
from." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  call  Mr.  Clay  a 
person  of  imagination  ? " 

"Most  assuredly  I  do.  Why,  that  is  one*  tremble 
with  him,  to  my  mind,"  answered  Mrs.  Willoughby, 
"He  has  too  much  imagination.  Consequently  he 
is  sometimes  very  queer.  As  you  know,  he  and  I 
are  quite  intimate,  and  he  is  apt  to  talk  to  me  about 
what  is  uppermost  in  his  thoughts.  I  make  rather 
a  point  to  keep  up  with  what  people  are  interested 
in,  and  to  read  all  the  new  books  ;  but  there  are  days 
when  his  ideas  are  positively  Utopian,  and  I  can't 
follow  him  in  the  least.  If  it  hadri't  been  for  his 
theories  he  would  have  married  and  settled  down 
long  before  this.  I'm  sure  he  would  be  a  great  deal 
happier  if  he  were  more  like  other  people/' 

Evelyn  smiled  as  though  she  were  amused.  "  I 
don't  see  how  he  could  be  much  more  like  other 
people." 

11  That's  because  you  don't  know  him,  then.     Er- 


. 

FACE   TO  FACE.  l6l 

nest  Clay  is  an  unusually  clever  fellow  mentally. 
He  used  to  invent  things  when  he  was  in  college, 
and  was  considered  quite  a  mechanical  genius.  He 
is  up  in  all  sorts  of  out-of-the-way  subjects,  and  has 
travelled  everywhere.  If  you  had  heard  him  talk 
yesterday  in  regard  to  your  adventure,  you  couldn't 
have  accused  him  of  lack  of  imagination.  With  a 
little  encouragement  he  would  have  set  out  that 
afternoon  for  Kansas.  He  seemed  to  think  that  the 
girls  in  this  part  of  the  country  had  been  educated 
on  the  wrong  principle.  I  don't  know  what  your 
view  of  all  this  may  be,"  added  Mrs.  Willoughby, 
with  a  laugh,  "  but  in  my  opinion  it  looks  very  sus 
picious." 

"Suspicious  as  to  what?"  asked  Evelyn,  dog 
gedly. 

"  Oh,  you  are  an  innocent  love,"  she  said,  pro 
nouncing  it  wove.  "  Come,  luncheon  is  ready.  You 
are  merely  prejudiced,  and  none  are  so  blind  as 
those  who  will  not  see." 

Meanwhile  the  subject  of  their  conversation  had 
gone  away  in  a  decidedly  puzzled  condition.  He 
felt  very  much  in  the  dark  as  to  the  character  of 
the  hyper-dignified  young  woman  whose  society  he 
had  just  quitted.  On  the  spur  of  the  moment,  when 
the  extent  of  his  blunder  first  became  apparent,  he 
had  been  disposed  to  regard  her  behavior  on  board 
ship  in  the  light  of  a  lark.  He  had  known,  in  the 
course  of  his  experience  of  the  other  sex,  girls  of 
this  sort,  who,  reserved  and  proper  in  general 
society,  were  capable  of  acting  like  the  Old  Harry, 
ii 


1 62  FACE   TO  FACE. 

so  to  speak,  when  they  found  themselves  alone  with 
a  man  under  favorable  circumstances.  This  was 
the  view  of  the  affair  he  had  taken  to  begin  with, 
although  rather  surprised  at  such  a  manifestation  of 
deviltry  in  an  English  girl  of  Evelyn's  position.  He 
was  not  fond  of  hoydens,  and  notwithstanding  her 
superb  beauty,  which  appeared  to  even  more  ad 
vantage  than  on  the  occasion  of  their  former  inter 
view,  he  had  felt  a  pang  of  disappointment  at  this 
reflection.  But  her  resolute  denial  that  she  had  in 
tended  to  play  any  joke  upon  him,  coupled  with  the 
pertinacity  of  her  reserve,  which,  had  she  been  one 
of  the  class  he  suspected,  would,  in  his  judgment, 
have  been  more  prompt  to  disappear,  had  shaken 
his  conviction.  While  accusing  her  of  an  intention 
to  satirize  him  by  her  repetition  of  his  opinions,  he 
had  been  conscious  that  the  tone  in  which  she  ac 
knowledged  him  to  be  in  the  right,  though  sugges 
tive  of  mockery  from  its  very  composure,  had  yet 
an  undercurrent  of  mournfulness  inconsistent  with 
a  flippant  frame  of  mind,  which  now  puzzled  him 
still  further.  He  found  himself,  as  he  drove  along, 
recalling  with  a  freshened  interest  the  sentiments 
she  had  expressed  during  their  conversation  on  the 
steamer,  and  before  reaching  home  he  had  made  up 
his  mind  that  what  she  had  said  to  him  this  morn 
ing  was  literally  true,  and  that  she  had  left  Eng 
land  with  the  expectation  of  finding  the  United 
States  totally  different  from  what  it  really  was.  As 
soon  as  this  idea  occurred  to  him,  he  felt  that  it 
must  be  the  true  explanation  of  the  mystery,  and  he 


FA-CE  TO  /vrc&  163 

was  quick  to  appreciate  that  she  had  been  equally 
sincere,  moreover,  in  her  declaration  of  having  mis 
taken  him  for  an  Englishman.  He  realized,  too, 
that  his  own  strictures  must  have  been  the  first  step 
in  opening  her  eyes  to  the  truth,  which  was  now,  of 
course,  palpable  to  her.  This  was  what  she  had 
meant  by  describing  herself  as  his  pupil. 

The  more  he  thought  over  this  view  of  the  case 
the  more  probable  did  it  seem  to  Clay  that  he  had 
found  the  clew  to  Miss  Pimlico's  behavior.  His 
feeling  of  disappointment  gave  place  to  a  sense  of 
deepened  curiosity.  He  asked  himself  how  she 
could  have  come  by  such  extravagant  notions  in 
regard  to  America — she,  a  girl  brought  up  among 
conservative  influences,  and  closely  allied  to  the 
aristocracy  of  the  United  Kingdom.  What  was 
the  origin  of  the  almost  visionary  enthusiasm  that 
still  bewitched  his  recollection  of  her  ?  At  least 
here  was  somebody  who  was  a  little  new  and  out 
of  the  ordinary  run,  whatever  she  might  declare 
to  the  contrary.  He  reflected  that  behind  her  as 
sumption  of  conformity  to  the  requirements  of  her 
present  surroundings,  there  lurked  undoubtedly  a 
spirit  of  revolt,  which  for  a  moment  stunned  and 
discouraged  was  none  the  less  real.  Perhaps  on 
further  investigation  he  might  be  disappointed  ;  but 
at  least  she  was  not  commonplace  ;  and,  apart  from 
her  opinions,  why  should  he  steel  his  fancy  against 
the  majesty  of  her  presence  and  the  eloquence  of 
her  eyes  ? 

While  under  the  influence  of  this  frame  of  mind 


1 64  FACE   TO  FACE. 

he  went  up  to  get  ready  for  dinner  with  a  degree  of 
anticipation  more  nearly  akin  to  excitement  than  he 
had  known  for  many  a  month  ki  regard  to  meeting 
one  of  the  opposite  sex. 

Evelyn  spared  no  pains— indeed  she  never  did 
now — to  make  her  toilette  impervious  to  criticism, 
and  Clay  was  quick  to  perceive,  on  entering  the 
room,  that  he  would  have  no  opportunity  to  mo 
nopolize  her  society  in  the  gay  world.  She  looked 
even  more  lovely  than  when  he  had  seen  her  ear 
lier  in  the  day,  and  she  wore  the  dress  in  which 
she  had  first  appeared  on  the  occasion  of  the 
Deckers'  ball.  Her  greeting  to  him  was  a  trifle  less 
reserved  than  it  had  been  in  the  morning,  but 
savored  even  more  pronouncedly  of  the  grand  lady. 
During  the  few  moments  previous  to  the  announce 
ment  of  dinner  he  had  to  be  content  to  be  one  of 
three  dancing  attendance  on  her,  and  xvas  conscious 
that  she  directed  her  vivacious  sallies  at  the  others, 
rather  than  himself,  giving  him  a  sensation  of  being 
left  out  in  the  cold.  But  at  last  he  obtained  posses 
sion  of  her,  and  led  her  away  captive,  as  it  almost 
seemed,  for  her  fingers  rested  so  lightly  on  the 
very  hem  of  his  coat-sleeve,  as  to  suggest  that  she 
woul&  have  been  better  pleased  not  to  have  them 
there  at  all. 

He  found  himself  a  moment  later  spearing  his 
oysters  with  gravity,  and  reflecting  how  thoroughly 
conventional  and  elegant  she  had  appeared  in  the 
drawing-room.  Evidently  she  had  the  art  of  chit 
chat  and  badinage  and  airy  nothings  at  her  tongue's 


/•AC/-:   TO  FACE.  165 

end.  She  seemed  spirited  but  volatile.  At  least 
this  was  the  criticism  prompted  by  the  pique  which 
had  suddenly  taken  possession  of  him.  He  was 
not  accustomed  to  wait  in  the  background,  which 
was  what  he  was  doing  now.  as  the  young  man  ou 
Miss  Pimlico's  other  side  was  completely  absorbing 
her  attention.  But  Clay  was  too  well  acquainted 
with  his  own  nature  not  to  know  at  heart  that  h<* 
was  jealous,  and  that  the  few  sentences  he  had  ex 
changed  with  her  before  dinner  had  only  deepened 
his  predilection  wellnigh  into  a  passion. 

The  instant  he  appreciated  this  he  felt  the  in> 
pulse  to  dispute  with  Ins  rival  the  mastery  of  the 
situation.  It  happened  that  Mrs.  Willoughby's  per 
ception  divined  his  annoyarice  from  his  solemnity. 
Immediately  she  turned  the  current  of  conversation, 
so  that  the  offending  admirer  was  obliged  to  quit 
his  attentions  to  Evelyn  in  order  to  save  the  lady  at 
his  other  side  from  being  left  to  her  own  reflecr 
tions.  Otherwise  Clay  might  have  experienced 
more  difficulty  in  getting  control  of  the  field.  But 
now,  as  though  she  recognized  there  was  no  escape, 
Miss  Pimlico  turned  in  his  direction  and  began  to 
talk.  Her  opening  remark  was  a  question  relating 
to  the  social  tittle-tattle  of  the  hour  which  required 
an  answer,  a  style  of  conversation  which  she  kept 
up  in  a  steady  flow,  without  heeding  the  effort  that 
he  made  now  and  again  to  broach  some  less  stereo 
typed  topic.  Clay's  answers  grew  palpably  shorter 
and  his  countenance  more  gloomy,  as  a  result  of 
her  babbling,  and  of  the  manifest  interest  which  sh<e 


1 66  FACE   TO  FACE. 

seemed  to  take  in  the  petty  small-talk  that  he  had 
listened  to  with  a  constantly  increasing  sense  of 
boredom  for  years.  When  a  pause  ensued,  she  intro 
duced  a  number  of  anagrams  and  enigmas,  some 
French,  and  some  English,  no  one  of  which  he  had 
not  seen  at  least  a  dozen  times  before.  He  had  not 
come — this  was  his  biting  reflection — to  talk  about 
whether  he  was  invited  to  this  party,  or  who  was 
going  to  that,  or  to  bandy  conundrums  like  a  youth 
of  twenty-one  with  a  doll  just  out  of  the  nursery. 
She  borrowed  his  pencil-case,  and  he  was  obliged 
perforce  to  try  to  seem  interested  in  the  puzzles,  old 
as  the  hills,  which  she  drew  on  her  dinner-card  for 
his  delectation,  with  a  feeling  all  the  while  that  he 
was  being  kept  out  of  Eden,  as  it  were,  from  sheer 
contrariety.  What  had  he  done  that  she  should 
put  a  seal  on  her  real  thoughts,  and  offer  so  stale  a 
substitute  as  these  platitudes  and  wearisome  jests? 
Could  it  be  that,  despite  all,  he  was  deceived,  and  she 
was  merely  the  silly  miss  she  appeared  ?  He  chose 
to  believe  that  he  really  thought  so,  and  when  the 
current  of  the  table-talk  again  changed,  he  turned 
himself  with  a  show  of  devotion  to  the  young  lady 
at  his  right  hand,  whom  he  had  seen  fit  to  neglect 
hitherto,  and  made  himself  so  voluble  as  to  daze 
her  with  the  mental  fireworks — a  strange  medley 
of  philosophy  and  cynicism — which  he  shot  off  un 
interruptedly  until  the  grapes  were  passed  round. 

After  a  moody  cigar  he  returned  to  the  drawing- 
room  to  find  any  design  he  may  have  had  of  renew 
ing  his  tde-a-tcte  with  Evelyn  quite  out  of  the  ques- 


TQ  FACE.  l$7 

tion,  for  she  was  easily  the  most  courted  girl  in  the 
room,  which  meant  a  great  deal,  as  Mrs.  Willoughby 
had  made  every  effort  to  assemble  the  cream  of  the 
fashionable  young  people  of  the  place.  It  was  evi 
dent  to  him  as  he  watched  her  that  she  was  much 
more  original  in  the  style  of  her  conversation  with 
others  than  when  talking  to  him,  to  judge  from  the 
frequent  laughter  of  her  admirers  and  the  anima 
tion  of  her  own  face.  He  stood  by  the  mantel 
piece  ostensibly  carrying  on  a  dialogue  with  an  old 
acquaintance,  whose  mental  processes  he  was  suffi 
ciently  familiar  with  to  be  able  to  make  appropri 
ate  answers  while  his  thoughts  were  elsewhere. 
Once  lie  caught  Evelyn's  glance  turned  in  his  di 
rection  as  if  with  deliberation.  Their  eyes  met, 
and  hers  were  coldly  withdrawn. 

There  was  some  circulation,  and  presently  he  was 
free  to  wander  about.  Mrs.  Willoughby  smiled  at 
him  across  the  room,  and  he  went  over  and  sat  down 
beside  her. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  how  did  you  get  on  ?  " 

"  We  didn't,"  he  answered. 

"  It  was  your  own  fault,  then.  She  is  a  giri  after 
your  own  heart." 

"  Because  she  has  a  stock  of  French  charades  ?  " 
he  asked,  a  little  bitterly. 

"  She  is  fond  of  books,  and  has  all  sorts  of  theo 
ries.  She  is  awfully  well  educated." 

"  What  do  you  call  education." 

"  She  passed  several  years  at  Girton,  for  one 
thing."  Mrs.  Willoughby  had  made  up  her  mind, 


J68  FAC1-:    TO   FACE. 

after  due  reflection,  that  so  long  as  Evelyn  was  in 
no  danger  of  playing  any  more  antics,  the  most 
likely  way  of  making  her  acceptable  to  Mr.  Clay 
was  to  appeal  to  his  quixotic  side.  She  had  a  feel 
ing,  which  she  had  already  communicated  to  her 
cousin,  that  too  much  propriety  at  first  might  be 
disappointing.  "  Not  a  mixed  college  you  know, 
but  a  college,"  she  added. 

"  Indeed." 

"  It  isn't  usual,  of  course,  but  it  doesn't  seem  to 
have  dorie  her  any  harm,  and  I  presume  that  merely 
in  an  intellectual  way  it  is  rather  a  good  experience. 
You  were  complaining,  you  know,  yesterday,  that 
:tll  our  girls  are  brought  up  after  the  same  pattern, 
and  don't  dare  call  their  souls  their  own." 

"Why  do  you  repeat  to  me  my  own  observations  ? 
As  I  told  you  recently,  I  hate  to  be  confronted  with 
opinions  which  were  intended  to  be  forgotten  as 
soon  as  uttered." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  laughed.  "  You  are  as  supremely 
cautious  as  ever,  I  see.  Now,  that  you  have  dis 
covered  that  she  did  not  originate  in  Kansas,  you 
are  afraid  of  running  any  risk  of  putting  your  head 
in  a  noose.  '  Midnight  caught  me  peering  at  the 
stars  ' — have  you  ceased  to  remember  so  soon  ?  But 
don't  be  too  certain,  my  friend,  that  she  would  have 
you,  even  if  your  Royal  Highness  were  to  go  down 
on  your  knees.  I  apprehend  that,  like  yourself,  she 
has  ideals,  and  loves  to  contemplate  the  mountain- 
fops." 

"Of  what  nature  are  her  ideals  ?"  he  asked. 


FACE   TO  FACE.  169 

*'  I  am  not  her  confidant.  I  am  merely  general 
izing  my  estimate  of  her  character.  Of  course  the 
things  she  said  on  board  ship  were  largely  nonsense, 
as  the  whole  thing  was  a  joke  ;  but  what  I  mean  is, 
I  don't  believe  there  is  the  man  living  who  could 
get  her  to  say  '  yes  '  unless  she  loved  him,  vhich  is 
something  not  altogether  common  in  this  mercenary 
age." 

"  Not  altogether.  I  have  no  doubt  that  she  will 
have  plenty  of  opportunities  to  scrutinize  her  own 
feelings  in  that  respect,"  he  said,  glancing  at  the 
group  before  Miss  Pimlico. 

"  She  is  very  much  admired,  undoubtedly,"  an 
swered  Mrs.  Willoughby,  "  but  in  a  matter  of  that  sort 
she  would  be  very  fastidious.  I  speak  of  it  merely  as 
an  evidence  of  the  kind  of  girl  she  is.  She  looks  at 
everything  purely  from  her  own  standpoint,  which 
is,  after  all,  rather  refreshing,  when  it  does  not  go 
too  far.  Her  behavior  during  the  voyage  alarmed 
me  at  first,  because  I  did  not  understand  it.  How 
thoroughly  you  -were  taken  in  !  It  showed  a  great 
deal  of  spirit  and  imagination  on  her  part,  I  think, 
to  be  able  to  carry  out  the  impersonation  so  cleverly. 
As  to  your  not  getting  on,  you  can  hardly  expect  a 
young  woman  whom  you  have  picked  to  pieces  to 
her  face  in  cold  blood  to  be  ready  to  throw  herself 
on  your  neck  the  next  time  you  meet." 

Their  conversation  was  interrupted  at  this  point 
by  the  rising  of  some  of  the  guests,  and  the  signal 
for  departure  having  thus  been  given,  the  party 
broke  up.  Clay,  as  an  intimate  of  the  family,  lin 


FACE   TO  FACE. 

gered  to  the  last,  and  was  slow  to  take  his  leave. 
After  having  sat  next  to  Miss  Pimlico  at  dinner,  he 
tnought  it  becoming  to  speak  to  her  for  a  moment  or 
two  before  going  home.  He  believed  himself  still 
merely  curious  to  discover  her  real  character,  and 
that,  on  the  whole,  he  would  be  better  pleased  to 
find  the  game  not  worth  the  candle.  He  felt  con 
vinced  that  if  he  could  get  her  alone  by  herself  he 
would  be  able  to  solve  his  doubts  speedily ;  there 
fore  he  varied  the  current  of  platitudes  that,  owing 
to  the  stiffness  under  which  he  was  laboring,  es 
caped  from  his  lips,  by  inquiring  if  she  would  walk 
with  him  on  the  cliffs  the  following  afternoon. 

Evelyn  looked  at  him  a  moment  doubtfully.  She 
even  flushed  a  little  ;  but  then  she  smiled  and  said, 
"  Is  it  allowable  for  young  ladies  in  this  country  to 
go  out  walking  with  gentlemen  ?  " 

Clay  was  in  so  touchy  a  frame  of  mind  that  he 
would  very  possibly  have  accepted  her  response  as 
a  refusal,  had  not  Mrs.  Willoughby,  who  overheard 
the  dialogue,  exclaimed  at  once  : 

"  Oh  yes,  my  dear,  it  is  quite  allowable  on  Sun 
days,  I  assure  you.  Everybody  walks  on  the  cliffs. 
The  shore  is  charming,  and  you  have  not  yet  seen  it 
to  advantage." 

This  settled  the  question,  and  accordingly  Clay 
made  his  appearance  at  the  appointed  hour.  Go 
ing  down  from  the  house,  they  followed  the  continu 
ous  path  which  divides  the  domain  of  hushed  ele 
gance  from  the  precipitous  descent  seawards.  A 
great  many  couples  were  sauntering  along  in  the 


FAC£  TO  FAC&.  171 

same  manner,  stopping  to  exchange  salutations  at 
the  several  turn-stiles  designed  to  mark  the  bounda 
ries  of  estates.  Evelyn  already  knew  almost  every 
body  ;  but  Clay,  who  was  even  more  familiar  with 
the  social  celebrities,  satisfied  by  abundant  anecdote 
the  interest  she  manifested  to  find  out  further  details 
regarding  them.  This  girl,  he  said,  had  been  engaged 
four  times,  and  that  young  man  was  a  dripping-pan 
for  the  money  of  four  wealthy  maiden  aunts  and  a 
bachelor  uncle ;  and  the  woman  with  the  white, 
proud  face,  exquisitely  dressed  and  accompanied  by 
a  pretty  boy,  with  long,  waving  curls,  was  said  to  be 
dying  of  a  broken  heart  because  of  her  husband's 
attentions  to  some  one  else.  Later  they  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  husband  and  the  lady's  rival,  flirting 
among  the  rocks.  Clay  recognized  them  by  the 
feather  of  her  bonnet,  which  rose  above  the  ledge 
where  they  had  ensconced  themselves.  It  was  not 
far  from  this  point  that  he  led  the  way  down  the 
bank,  acd  helped  Evelyn  to  clamber  over  the  stones 
until  they  reached  a  spot  just  where  the  waves 
could  not  wet  them,  and  seemingly  out  of  the  world. 
It  was  a  beautiful  prospect.  The  sea  was  begin 
ning  to  be  radiant  with  the  glow  of  approaching 
twilight,  and  a  stillness  was  settling  on  the  waters 
that  augured  ill  for  the  prospect  of  a  couple  of  yachts 
which  were  drifting,  with  all  their  wings  spread,  a 
league  from  shore,  getting  to  an  anchorage  before 
dark. 

"How  beautiful!"  exclaimed  Evelyn,  and  for  a 
moment  her  eyes  seemed  as  if  straining  to  catch  a 


1/2  FACE    TO  FACE. 

glimpse  of  infinity  through  the  glory  of  the  sun- 
clouds.     "  It  is  almost  like  being  at  sea  again." 

"  Not  quite,  Miss  Pimlico,"  Clay  answered,  tossing 
a  pebble  into  the  water— "at  least  for  me.  Then 
you  told  me  what  you  thought  and  believed,  but 
now,  like  an  anemone,  you  shrink  into  your  skin 
and  hide  your  real  self  from  me." 


IX. 


SHE  paused  an  instant  before  replying.  "  My 
real  self  ?  What  do  you  call  my  real  self  ?  "  she 
said. 

"  J  mean  that  you  were  very  different  on  board  ship 
than  you  have  been  since." 

"  That  is  because  I  was  different,  Mr.  Clay.  As  I 
told  you  yesterday,  I  have  changed,  or  rather  my 
ideas  have." 

"Yet  you  really  believed  what  you  said  to  me 
then  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  most  thoroughly.  But  after  discovering 
one's  self  to  be  the  victim  of  a  delusion,  it's  sense 
less  not  to  alter  one's  opinions." 

"  Of  course  you  are  very  much  disappointed,'1  he 
said. 

"  I  do  not  require  sympathy,  I  assure  you.  I  am 
having  an  extremely  pleasant  visit." 

"  In  spite  of  finding  us  so  much  like  the  rest  of 
the  world." 

"  I  am  a\vare,"  she  answered,  "  that  I'm  open  to 
the  charge  of  taking  my  humiliation  too  little  to 
heart.  But  what,  pray,  could  I  do  ?  There  would 
be  no  use  in  refusing  to  be  civil  to  you  all  because 
you  are  not  what  I  expected.  Besides,  I'm  getting" 


174  FACE   TO  FACE. 

resigned  so  rapidly,  I  am  by  no  means  sure  I  would 
have  you  different  if  I  could  The  air  is  infectious, 
and  I  find  myself  almost  wondering  how  I  ever  could 
have  held  the  views  I  did." 

"  Then  you  really  think  we  are  noticeably  Euro- 
peanized  ? " 

"  Most  certainly,  Mr.  Clay.  Your  mind  may  rest 
quite  easy  on  that  score.  In  a  few  unimportant  de 
tails  you  are  still  not  wholly  perfect,  but  even  the 
counterfeit  is  admirable,  and  it  can  scarcely  be  long 
before  the  best  judges  will  be  perplexed  to  catalogue 
you." 

"  I  was  afraid  so." 

"  Afraid,  Mr.  Clay  ?  I  had  supposed  that  you,  of 
all  men,  would  be  gratified  at  such  a  statement." 

"  Remember  you've  made  one  error  in  regard  to 
me  already,  Miss  Pimlico.  It  may  be  that  you've 
mistaken  my  character  as  well  as  my  nationality." 

"  Excuse  me,  I  am  judging  simply  by  your  own 
words.  It  was  you  who  first  opened  my  eyes  to  the 
truth  of  what  I've  just  asserted." 

"You  took  my  words  in  a  different  sense  from 
what  I  intended  by  them.  I  didn't  mean  to  imply 
a  desire  on  the  part  of  our  people  to  imitate  anybody. 
I  merely  wished  to  make  it  clear  that  we  are  not 
so  outlandish  as  some  of  the  portrayers  of  American 
manners  would  have  the  world  believe.  To  tell  the 
truth,  I  had  never  considered  the  matter  exactly  in 
the  light  in  which  you  put  it,  and  I  may  say  I  was 
very  much  interested  by  your  question,  and  have 
thought  about  it  ever  since." 


FACE   TO  FACE.  175 

"  What  question  ?" 

"  You  asked  me  if  it  were  possible  that  this  re 
public  of  free  men  and  women  could  be  nothing  but 
a  gorgeous  reflection  of  the  virtues  and  vices  of 
older  countries." 

"  I  remember." 

"  As  I've  said,  it  set  me  thinking,  and  though, 
despite  your  presumable  opinion  to  the  contrary, 
I'm  patriotic  enough  to  believe  that  we're  not  go 
ing  to  lose  our  originality  altogether,  I  must  confess 
the  outlook  is  not  especially  encouraging.  It  is 
undoubtedly  true,"  he  continued,  "  that  the  vigorous 
but  raw  manifestations  of  independence  which  made 
my  forefathers  world-famous,  and  were  regarded  as 
most  palpably  and  distinctively  national,  are  being 
relegated  further  and  further  west  everyday,  and  in 
a  few  years,  as  you  justly  observed  yesterday,  will 
have  disappeared  before  the  march  of  so-called  civ 
ilization.  I  for  one — though  very  likely  we  shall 
disagree  on  this  point — do  not  deplore  the  change 
of  temper  that  prefers  the  polished  gentleman  to  the 
rail-splitter  ;  but  the  consideration  that  your  in 
quiry  makes  pertinent  is,  whether,  in  the  course  of 
becoming  more  complex  in  our  notions  as  a  people, 
the  peculiar  spirit  which  animated  the  Puritan 
fathers  and  their  first  descendants  is  not  threatening 
to  languish  and  expire  under  our  altered  conditions. 
What,  in  short,  is  taking  the  place  of  the  prim  New 
England  Sunday  of  the  last  century,  and  the  too- 
spontaneous,  but,  on  the  whole,  equitable  Derringer 
that  was  the  administrator  of  justice  in  some  portions 


17$  FACE   TO  FACE. 

of  the  Republic  during  the  earlier  decades  of  this  ? 
That,  I  presume,  is  the  real  enigma  confronting  us 
to-day,  Miss  Pimlico,  for  there  can  be  no  question 
as  to  the  complete  change  in  customs  and  opinions 
which  has  been  inaugurated  during  the  twenty  years 
that  have  elapsed  since  you  and  I  were  born." 

The  conversation  had  taken  so  different  a  turn 
from  what  Evelyn  had  expected  that  she  recalled 
Mrs.  Willoughby's  remarks  in  Mr.  Clay's  behalf 
with  a  sense  of  feeling  almost  provoked  that  he  was 
appearing  a  little  less  worthy  of  disdain  than  her 
first  impressions  had  inclined  her  to  believe.  Could 
it  be  that  he  was  sincere  in  what  he  was  saying  ?  At 
least  it  was  interesting,  and  decidedly  a  step  in  ad 
vance  of  the  reflections  which  had  elicited  her  own 
query.  She  had  spoken  under  the  firm  but  errone 
ous  conviction  that  the  rail-splitter  was  still  ubiqui 
tous  in  the  new  world,  arid  here  was  her  adversary 
on  that  occasion  not  content  with  showing  her  how 
greatly  she  was.  mistaken,  but  suggesting,  moreover, 
the  possibility  of  something  better  than  primitive 
heroics.  She  was  so  quick  to  catch  his  idea  that  she 
j-eplied  at  once  : 

"You  have  improved  upon  my  idea  vastly,  Mr. 
Clay.  Indeed  I've  no  right  to  speak  of  it  as  mine. 
But  you  mustn't  think  me  so  unintelligent  as  to  pre 
fer  a  rude  society,  however  noble  in  purpose,  to  the 
same  society  ameliorated  by  such  beauty  and  luxury 
as  we  are  surrounded  by,  provided,  as  you  say,  the 
Iqfty  aspirations  have  not  been  smothered  during 
Vmi  e}ain?ed  just  now  that  I  had 


FACE    TO   FACE.  I? 7 

made  another  mistake  in  your  own  case.  It  wouldn't 
be  very  strange,  considering  that  I  have  been  on 
this  side  of  the  water  barely  a  week,  if  I  had  formed 
my  conclusions  too  hastily.  I  shall  be  only  too  glad 
to  be  re-enlightened,  I  assure  you." 

"  The  trouble  is  I  don't  quite  know  whether  your 
conclusions  were  unjust  or  not,"  he  said.  "We 
certainly  started  with  aspirations — that  is,  by  'we '  I 
mean  the  pioneers  who  explored  the  country  and 
laid  the  foundations  of  our  existence  as  a  people. 
They  were  filled  with  a  true  manhood  whose  evident 
ambition  was  to  make  a  nation  greater  and  better 
than  had  ever  existed  before.  That  was  the  incen 
tive  of  the  spirit  which  successively  subdued  the 
wilderness,  threw  off  the  shackles  of  despotism,  and 
made  this  confederation  of  States  a  home  for  all 
who  fancied  themselves  oppressed.  In  the  course 
of  evolution  from  a  mere  band  of  settlers  to  the 
stupendous  factor  we  are  in  the  world's  affairs  to 
day,  there  has  been  the  belief,  deep-set  in  the  minds 
of  all  classes,  that  we  were  in  advance  of  other  na 
tions,  and  were  setting  them  an  example  of  noble 
living.  When  the  'effete  dynasties  of  Europe' 
sneered  at  the  loose-jointedness  of  our  institutions 
and  ridiculed  our  manners,  our  forefathers  said, 
'Wait  a  hundred  years  and  see  where  we  are  then  ; 
give  the  experiment  time  ; '  and  went  on  planting 
and  maufacturingand  legislating,  undaunted,  in  the 
belief  that  both  morally  and  politically  they  were 
far  in  the  van.  They  were  hard-working,  thrifty 
men,  but  poor  in  this  world's  goods,  and  so  intent 

12 


178  FAt&  TO 

were  they  in  cutting  down  the  forests  and  laying 
railroads  and  developing  the  resources  of  the 
country,  that  they  had  no  leisure  to  do  more  than 
imagine,  in  a  general  way,  what  they  expected  of 
their  great-grandchildren.  Yet  so  certain  were  they 
of  the  sacredness  of  their  mission,  that  their  money- 
getting  was  not  like  other  money-getting.  They 
gathered  in  their  harvests  and  sold  their  merchan 
dise  with  a  conviction  that  God  was  on  their  side 
and  that  they  were  on  God's  side.  That  was  in  the 
days,  Miss  Pimlico,  when  everybody  in  this  country 
had  to  do  something  in  order  to  live.  But  those 
days  are  over.  We  are  beginning  to  have  a  leisure 
class.  The  descendants  of  many  of  the  men  who 
cut  down  the  forests  and  built  the  railroads  are  roll 
ing  in  wealth,  and  are  free  to  do  nothing  from  one 
year's  end  to  the  other,  if  they  choose.  The  ques 
tion  is  whether  that  leisure  class  is  seeking  to  make 
good  the  expectations  of  those  who  sleep  in  the 
churchyard,  or  is  to  be  no  better  than  the  leisure 
class  of  the  older  civilizations  to  which  we  Ameri 
cans  have  been  taught  to  regard  ourselves  as  supe 
rior." 

"  And  you  think  it  is  seeking  to  make  them 
good?"  said  Evelyn,  eagerly. 

"It  is  almost  too  soon  to  tell.  Do  you  know,  it 
sometimes  seems  to  me  as  though  there  were  a  law 
of  nature,  against  which  man  struggles  in  vain,  that 
the  soul  should  stagnate  and  die  when  the  means  of 
existing  without  labor  is  supplied.  Do  you  remem 
ber  the  fable  of  Midas  ?  I  have  often  thought  of  it 


FACE   TO  FACE.  179 

in  this  connection.  The  hard,  cold  gold  numbs  our 
senses  until  we  starve  with  plenty.  You  are  a 
graduate  of  Girton  College,  so  your  cousin  tells  me," 
he  added. 

"  Yes.  Does  it  shock  you  ?  "  she  still  could  not 
resist  asking. 

"  Shock  me  ?  Why  should  it  ?  I  see  you're  de 
termined  to  think  the  worst  of  me.  No,  my  reason 
for  referring  to  it  was  because  I  thought  that  as  a 
student  the  idea  might  have  occurred  to  you  that 
the  so-called  leisure  class  in  the  world  really  have 
the  power  to  affect  civilization  more  significantly 
than  any  other.  The  great  masses  of  people  have 
to  struggle  for  their  daily  bread,  and  the  moments 
which  they  are  able  to  give  to  improving  the  con 
dition  of  society  without  regard  to  pecuniary  con 
siderations  are  curtailed,  even  in  the  case  of  the  rela 
tively  prosperous,  by  the  extravagant  demands  of 
our  modern  system  of  living.  But  there  are  some — 
indeed,  they  are  getting  to  be  numerous  on  this  side 
of  the  water  as  well  as  abroad — who  have  such 
ample  means  that  if  they  were  disposed  to  devote 
themselves  to  improve  the  welfare  of  mankind,  in 
stead  of  spending  their  days  in  comfortable  idleness 
or  in  the  pursuit  of  mere  pleasure,  might  influence 
incalculably  the  progress  of  humanity.  It  seems  a 
trifle  pitiful  in  the  face  of  all  the  noble  aspirations 
of  the  race  sung  by  poets— principally  in  needy  cir 
cumstances — to  be  haunted  by  the  suspicion  that 
moral  enthusiasm  diminishes  when  the  craving  for 
the  means  of  living  luxuriously  is  satisfied.  That 


180  FACE    TO  FACE. 

is  the  scientific  basis  of  the  theory  with  which  some 
of  us  satisfy  conscience — that  after  a  man  has  grown 
rich  his  obligation  to  society  ceases  and  he's  at  lib 
erty  to  live  as  he  pleases,  provided  he  breaks  no  laws. 
What  have  been  the  so-called  nobilities  of  the  most 
civilized  nations  of  the  world  but  idlers  in  the  main  ? 
How  large  a  portion  of  their  lives  is  to-day  made 
up  of  vapid  ceremonies  and  frivolous  pleasures !  " 

"  I  know,"  said  Evelyn.  "  One  of  my  chief  rea 
sons  for  wishing  to  come  to  America  was  because  I 
believed  I  should  escape  all  that.  You  have  no 
hereditary  titles,  at  least — no  arbitrary  distinctions 
of  rank." 

"  Not  yet.  But  you  were  quick  to  perceive  that 
the  circumstance  of  having  a  countess  for  a  sister 
gave  you  a  heightened  importance  here  in  many 
eyes.  I  am  not  prepared  to  maintain  that  it  did 
not  in  mine.  And  if  you  will  allow  me  to  be  ego 
tistical,  Miss  Pimlico,  I  may  say  that  because  I  am 
myself  a  fairly  good  illustration  of  the  leisure  class 
of  this  country  and  am  tolerably  familiar  with  its 
bent,  I  feel  justified  in  being  apprehensive  as  to  the 
future.  I  presume,"  he  said,  "you  have  not  been 
kept  in  ignorance  that  I  am  a  very  rich  man." 

"  Even  the  stewardess  on  board  ship  was  aware 
of  the  fact,  Mr.  Clay.  It  was  she  also  who  informed 
me  that  you  were  an  American  ;  but  that  I  did  not 
believe." 

"  Humph  !  Yes,  I  am  worth  six  millions  of  dol 
lars  in  my  own  right.  I  have  never  known  since  I 
was  born  what  it  was  to  want  anything  I  couldn't 


FACE   TO   FACE.  15* 

have.  I  was  given  the  best  education  this  country 
can  afford,  and  I've  travelled  abroad  to  my  heart's 
Content.  I  speak  three  languages  besides  my  own. 
I  have  perfect  health,  and  more  than  the  ordinary 
run  of  intelligence.  But  what  do  I  amount  to  ? 
Nothing  ;  and  no  one  is  more  conscious  of  it  than  I 
myself.  I  don't  even  take  care  of  my  property,  but 
hire  a  beggar  to  do  it  for  me.  I  go  to  the  club  and 
into  society ;  I  drive  a  coach,  and  I  follow  the 
hounds  ;  I  have  a  fast  yacht ;  I  am  a  capital  fencer 
and  whist-player,  and  I  pass  every  summer  in  Eu 
rope.  I  read  all  the  new  books,  and  hate  read 
most  of  the  old  ones,  and  know  a"  good  dramatic 
performance  when  I  see  it.  That  is  my  life." 

He  paused  a  moment,  then  as  his  companion 
ifiade  no  comment,  said,  in  continuation  : 

"  I  suppose  there  seems  iri  your  tfiind  a  Very  sim 
ple  answer  to  all  this.  Very  likely  you  have  it  on 
the  tip  of  your  tongue  to  ask,  Why  don't  y'au  do 
Something  ?" 

"  I  should  prefer  to  have4  you  tell  rile  without  n>y 
asking  the  question." 

"  I  don't  feel  at  all  sure,  Miss  Pimlico,"  he  said, 
reflectively,  "that  I  haven't  led  the  conversation  tin 
to  this  point  in  order  to  defend  myself — in  order  to 
show  what  almost  insuperable  obstacles  beset  the 
individual  in  my  position  who  would  fain  become 
more  than  a  flaneur.  The  problem  is  by  no  means 
so  easy  of  solution  as  you  may  imagine.  Mert  go 
into  business  to  make"  money.  I've;  mdre1  than  I 
can  spend  already.  The  professions  are  full  to 


1 82  FACE   TO  PACK. 

overflowing,  and  I'm  not  wanted  there.  I  have  no 
talent  for  public  life.  As  to  considerations  of  be 
nevolence,  I  give  away  a  large  slice  of  my  income 
as  it  is  ;  for  I  should  have  added  to  the  description 
of  myself  that,  so  far  as  externals  go,  I  am  eminently 
respectable.  I'm  neither  a  rake  nor  a  niggard. 
And  yet  I  am  not  content  with  myself,  though  I  try 
to  take  comfort  from  the  reflection  that  my  unrest 
is  merely  the  vestige  of  ihe  too-sensitive  conscience 
of  my  Puritan  ancestors.  You  know  hens  still  con 
tinue  to  run  about  the  farm-yard  after  their  heads 
are  cut  off.  I  shall  die  and  be  gathered  to  my 
fathers,  and  maybe  my  sons  (if  I  have  any)  will  be 
able  to  live  in  idle  comfort  without  being  con 
scious  of  the  qualms  that  pester  me  ;  unless  they 
chance  to  be  taught  by  the  rough  hands  of  the 
masses,  who  fancy,  poor  devils,  that  they  would  suc 
ceed  better  were  they  in  our  shoes — that  no  man 
is  free  to  be  born  rich  and  do  nothing  to  benefit 
his  fellow-creatures.  It's  merely  a  question  of  time 
when  that  doctrine  is  inculcated.  But  I  am  digress 
ing.  It  is  not  a  question  of  my  sons.  I  was  en 
deavoring  to  explain  to  you,  Miss  Pimlicoj  why  / 
am  idle.  Perhaps  you  have  no  clearer  perception 
yet  ? " 

"  I  am  listening,"  she  said.  "  Please  go  on.'' 
"What  the  world  should  demand  of  men  circum 
stanced  as  I  am  is  that  they  should  take  a  new 
departure — attempt  something  which  others  cannot 
do.  But  did  you  ever  reflect  how  much  moral  cour 
age  that  requires  ?  It  is  so  much  more  easy  to  lie 


FACE    TO   FACE.  183 

upon  the  lounge  reading  Turgenieff  and  Balzac,  or 
to  thrill  with  the  melody  of  Raff,  and  fancy  the  days 
melting  into  one  long  bliss,  than  to  make  up  one's 
mind  to  be  an  eccentric,  for,  as  I  have  said,  what  is 
wanted  are  not  lawyers  and  merchants,  but  souls 
not  afraid  to  run  amuck  with  society  as  it  exists, 
with  the  hope  of  changing  its  current.  I  am  the 
representative  of  a  long  line  of  toiling  ancestors, 
who,  with  faith  in  God  and  untiring  zeal,  little  by 
little  amassed  the  fortune  which  I  have  inherited. 
But  there  was  no  choice  given  to  them — they  had 
to  work — their  ambition  to  accumulate  was  not  sat 
isfied.  Mine  is,  and  with  the  gratification  comes 
the  sense  of  realizing  how  money  tends  to  make  the 
soul  torpid,  just  as  ceasing  from  physical  labor  re 
laxes  the  muscles  of  the  body.  And  what  follows  ? 
If  we  do  not  devote  ourselves  to  mere  vanities, 
we  cultivate  our  minds  until  they're  like  razors 
and  can  cleave  hairs.  We  grow  agnostic  and  self- 
analytical,  and  suppress  enthusiasm.  Beauty  and 
luxury  become  indispensable  to  our  surround 
ings.  We  are  serious  and  ardent  one  day — even  as 
I  may  fancy  myself  now — but  next  morning  the 
sloth  that  numbs  those  who  have  great  possessions 
makes  us  faint-hearted  and  cynical  again.  It  is  so 
easy  to  argue  to  one's  self,  What  is  the  use  ?  and  so 
much  more  comfortable  to  be  like  everybody  else  ; 
and  being  too  intelligent  for  superstitions,  we  are 
ready  to  take  our  chances  with  the  herd  as  to  what 
may  come  hereafter.  It  is  now  my  turn  to  shock 
you,  I  fear.  Your  life,  I  imagine,  has  been  a  differ- 


TO 

qnt  one  from  mine,  although  you  come  from  a  coun 
try  where  the  leisure  class  has  been  held  up  to  the 
minds  of  American  youth,  since  our  first  Fourth  of 
July,  as  undesirable  of  imitation." 

"  I  have  had  no  life  as  yet,"  said  Evelyn.  "  I  am 
only  just  beginning  to  live.  Up  to  this  time  I  have 
been  a  rnere  student  and  Jookcr-on."  She  sat  lean 
ing  back  against  the  wall  of  rock  with  folded  arms. 
"  But  I  think  I  understand  you.  At  least,"  she  conr 
tinued,  "  I  appreciate  much  more  accurately  than 
I  used  the  seductions  of  wealth  and  social  position. 
As  I  told  you,  I  think,  yesterday,  I  am  different 
from  what  I  was,  and  where  I  supposed  that  I  was 
sure  of  myself— well,"  she  said,  with  a  smile,  "  I 
an)  no  longer  sure.  It  once  seemed  so  easy  and 
natural  to  despise  everything  of  the  sort,  but  I  am 
beginning  to  realize  that  it's  not  so  easy  after  all— r 
and  perhaps  not  sensible.  So  you  sec,  Mr.  Clay, 
I'm  hardly  the  person  to  criticise  anyone  else's  views 
when  I  am  far  from  certain  as  to  my  own.  YOU 
were  speaking  just  now  of  new  ideas.  What  you  said 
as  to  the  very  rich  being  able  to  affect  the  world  ?o 
greatly  was  a  new  suggestion  to  me,  and-r-and  I  think 
I'm  glad  I'm  not  very  rich,  for  one  would  havs  to  do 
something  uncommon,  I  can  see,  in  order  not  to  be 
troubled  by  qualms;  and  yet  one  might  not  be  strong 
enough  when  the  time  came."  She  was  silent  a 
moment,  and  then  exclaimed  :  "  How  I  have  altered 
in  the  last  ten  days  !  You  must  possess  some  sort 
of  influence  over  me,"  she  continued;  "  fqr  here  J 
am.  unburdening  myself  to  you 


FACE    TO   PACE.  185 

"  It  is  very  little  that  you  have  told  me.  I  began 
our  conversation  with  the  object  of  getting  at  your 
ideas,  and  I  have  been  prating  all  this  time  about 
my  own." 

"  You  have  been  teaching  me  to  look  at  the  world 
as  it  really  is.  You  can  hardly  expect  me,"  she  said, 
with  a  shake  of  her  head,  "  to  be  very  grateful,  I 
think,  Mr.  Clay.  It  is  not  altogether  inspiriting  to 
watch  one's  most  cherished  illusions  vanish  into 
smoke." 

"  But  may  be  they  are  not  illusions.  Have  I  not 
told  you  already  that  one  of  them  has  interested  me 
deeply  ? " 

"  And  for  the  last  ten  minutes  you've  been  doing 
your  best  to  prove  to  me  how  untenable  it  is.  No,. 
Mr.  Clay,  I  am  merely  passing  through  the  experi 
ence  which  most  young  people  have  to  undergo  in 
discovering  life  to  be  quite  different  from  what  they 
have  imagined  it.  I  was  amply  warned,  too,  but,  as 
is  apt  to  be  the  case,  I  was  confident  that  I  knew 
best." 

"Then  you  went  to  Girton  contrary  to  the  pref 
erences  of  your  family,  1  presume  ?" 

"  They  felt  dreadfully  about  it.  It  was  totally  at 
variance  with  all  their  traditions  and  established 
notions  as  to  propriety.  I  have  been  a  thorn  in 
their  flesh  ever  since  I  was  born.  I've  always 
wanted  to  strike  out  for  myself,  and  have  never  had 
the  same  interests  as  they.  My  sisters  accepted  as 
a  matter  of  course  what  was  set  before  them,  made 
brilliant  matches,  and  satisfied  the  pride  of  papa  and 


tS6  FACE  TO  FACE. 

mamma.  I'm  considered  queer  and  incomprehensl 
ble,  because  I  have  thought  and  studied  on  my  own 
account  and  disdained  what  seems  to  them  vital  to 
happiness." 

"How  did  you  come  to  be  so  different?"  Clay  asked. 

"  I  was  born  so.  It  was  natural  to  me  to  be  in 
dependent.  And  since  I  began  to  think  for  myself 
I  have  supposed  that  in  following  out  my  own  bent 
I  was  imitating  the  example  of  girls  over  here. 
But  now  that  I've  found  out  my  mistake  I  shall  go 
back  at  the  close  of  my  visit,  and  doubtless  marry 
some  noble  lord,  and  settle  down  to  be  as  conven 
tional  as  the  rest." 

"  Humph !  What  did  you  have  in  mind  to  do, 
before  leaving  home  ? " 

"  I  hadn't  got  so  far  as  that,  Mr.  Clay.  As  I  have 
told  you,  I  was  a  mere  dreamer.  I  indulged  in 
theories  and  speculations  that  don't  stand  the  tests 
of  the  work-a-day  world.  My  father  sent  me  to  the 
United  States  to  cure  me,  he  said  I'm  cured,  I 
think  ;  but  scarcely  from  the  causes  that  he  had  in 
mind.  If  you'll  believe  it,  he  regards  you  as  a  race 
of  Utopians,  who  defy  law,  and  decorum,  and  every 
thing  that  savors  of  established  order,  and  his  hope 
was  that  I  should  get  my  fill  of  radicalism  and  be 
come  disgusted  with  it.  But  why  am  I  talking  to 
you  in  this  fashion?  Though  you  must  be- accus 
tomed  to  such  confidences,  unless  that  is  a  fiction, 
like  everything  else." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you  exactly.  Is  what  a 
fiction  ?  " 


FACE    TO  FACE.  1 87 

"  Ah,  it  is,  then.  One  hears  so  much  of  the  inti 
macies  between  men  and  women  in  this  country.  I 
was  reluctant  to  believe  that  they  exist  only  in  the 
imagination." 

"  You  need  not  come  to  that  conclusion,"  he  said, 
with  a  smile.  "  I  fancy  your  imagination  may  even 
be  short  of  the  truth  so  far  as  they  are  concerned. 
It  is  certainly  the  custom  here  for  men  and  women 
to  interchange  thoughts  and  opinions  to  a  greater 
extent  than  anywhere  else  in  the  world.  They 
make  companions  of  each  other.  As  you  suggest, 
I've  been  on  terms  of  more  or  less  intimacy  with  a 
number  of  your  sex,  but  I  may  say  that  I  have 
never  listened  to  a  confidence  that  interested  me 
more  than  the  one  you  have  just  made." 

"  It  will  require  a  great  many  compliments  to  in 
demnify  my  pride  for  the  shock  it  suffered  on  board 
ship,"  she  said,  laughingly.  "  However,  it  is  pleas 
ant  to  be  regarded  as  an  equal.  You  know,  in  Eng 
land  we  are  ordinarily  considered  by  men  as  slightly 
their  inferiors." 

"  It  isn't  so  on  this  side  of  the  water.  Men  seek 
women  for  advice  as  well  as  sympathy.  An  intelli 
gent  as  well  as  good  woman  has  immense  possibili 
ties  for  influence,  if  she  only  sees  fit  to  exert  it  in 
the  right  way." 

"You  speak  as  if  you  thought  they  were  not  apt 
to,  Mr.  Clay." 

"  They  are  at  least  equally  to  blame  with  men,  if 
what  we  were  saying  just  now  as  to  the  degeneracy 
of  the  leisure  class  in  America  be  true.  If  they 


1 88  FACE   TO  FACE. 

would  but  set  the  standard  of  living  high,  there 
might  be  more  hope,  but  I  often  think  that  they  are 
worse  than  we  in  their  devotion  to  mere  vanities. 
J  can  recall  half  a  dozen  girls  quite  as  rich  as  I  am 
in  their  individual  rights  who  are  living  equally  in 
sipid  lives." 

"There  is  some  comfort  for  us  English  girls  in 
the  reflection  that  we  are  not  expected  to  set  stan 
dards,  only  to  be  thoroughly  good,  and  if  we  are 
just  a  little  stupid,  it  is  rather  a  point  in  our  favor." 

"  It  can  scarcely  be  much  comfort  to  you,  Miss 
Pimlico,  for  on  your  own  showing  anyone  would 
magine  you'd  been  born  here." 

"  Ah,  but  I'm  quite  cured,  as  I've  told  you  already, 
and  am  going  home  to  cast  off  all  responsibilities. 
When  I'm  the  duchess  of  something  or  other,  and 
mistress  of  a  grand  estate,  I'll  invite  you  to  stay  with 
me,  to  see  how  completely  I've  reformed.  But,  per 
haps  you'll  have  become  too  much  of  a  radical  by 
that  time,  and  have  fulfilled  your  theories  about  the 
necessity  of  doing  something  uncommon." 

"Not  much  danger,  I  fear,"  he  answered.  "  Laugh 
away — I  have  laid  myself  open  to  ridicule,  I  admit. 
I  shall  wake  up  to-morrow  the  same  listless  spirit  as 
ever.  But  at  this  moment  it  really  does  seem  to  me 
mortifying,"  he  said,  wistfully,  "  to  think  that  just 
as  the  old  world  arc  beginning  to  acknowledge  us 
to  be  right,  we  should  be  striving  to  imitate  them." 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  laugh,"  Evelyn  said  ;  "  I  de 
plore  the  situation  thoroughly.  But  you  have  dem 
onstrated  to  me  very  clearly  how  irrational  it 


FACE   TO  FACE.  189 

would  be  to  look  for  anything  different.  We  must 
take  the  world  as  we  find  it,  after  all.  It  is  getting 
late,  Mr.  Clay,"  she  said,  rising  to  her  feet.  "We 
should  be  going  home,  and  by  way  of  suiting  our 
conversation  to  the  sensible  deduction  we  have  ar 
rived  at,  do  tell  me  someiKng  about  Lenox,  for  my 
cousin  means  to  take  me  there  early  in  September." 


AS  Clay  puffed  his  cigar  that  evening  he  knew  he 
was  in  love.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life  he 
felt  that  he  had  met  a  woman  for  whose  sake  he 
would  be  ready  to  commit  extravagances.  He 
had  waited  ten  years  in  the  hope  that  this  hour 
would  arrive,  and  here  it  was.  At  last  he  had 
found  her — her,  the  perfection  of  womanhood,  beau 
tiful  of  feature  and  limb  and  mind  and  soul.  There 
was  nothing  lacking.  Even  his  hypercritical  ken 
could  pick  no  flaw  in  her.  He  felt  that  with  her  by 
his  side  he  would  be  able  to  meet  the  glances  of  the 
most  fastidious,  and  never  flinch.  How  often,  after 
passing  newly  wedded  friends  in  the  street,  he  had 
asked  himself,  with  wondering  pity,  what  they  had 
seen  to  admire  in  their  wives  ?  But  no  one  would 
be  at  a  loss  to  understand  his  infatuation.  Was  it 
not  enough  to  look  in  her  face,  in  order  to  perceive 
that  she  was  noble  ? 

But  no  matter  what  others  might  think,  he  was 
sure  himself.  Hers  was  no  petty,  lukewarm  nature, 
circumscribed  by  the  narrow  limitations  of  a  time 
serving  idea  of  living.  Enthusiasm  shone  from  her 
eyes,  and  courage  nerved  her  lips.  She  had  charmed 
him  from  the  first,  even  in  spite  of  atrocious  incon* 


FACE    TO   FACE.  IQI 

gruities  ;  and  now  that  these  had  been  explained 
away,  what  was  there  to  prevent  his  failing  down 
and  worshipping  her  ?  He  would  marry  her.  Thank 
heaven  he  was  one  of  the  first  in  the  field,  and  was 
master  of  his  own  time.  If  she  would  not  have  him, 
he  would  follow  her  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  until 
she  did.  She  was  prejudiced  against  him  by  the 
unfortunate  blunder  he  had  committed  during  the 
voyage,  but  unremitting  devotion  should  testify  to 
the  sincerity  of  his  repentance. 

As  he  thus  gave  the  rein  to  his  fancy  he  could  not 
help  recalling  how  he  had  been  wont  to  smile  de 
risively  when  he  heard  other  rnen  rave  in  the  delirium 
of  love.  It  had  been  rather  a  theory  of  his  that  to 
be  desperately  smitten,  as  they  appeared  to  be,  was 
inconsistent  with  nice  powers  of  discrimination  and 
a  highly  evolved  nature  ;  in  other  words,  that  blind 
love  was  a  passion  which  yielded  to  the  progress  of 
civilization.  This  was  the  explanation  he  had  been 
accustoming  himself  to  give  for  his  own  inability  to 
lose  his  heart — this  and  a  certain  hypercritical  ten 
dency  of  which  he  was  conscious,  and  the  responsi 
bility  for  which  he  liked  to  throw  on  his  Puritan 
ancestors.  But  now  he  felt  inclined  to  be  almost 
grateful  to  those  worthies  in  that  they  had  trans 
mitted  to  him  a  nature  such  as  only  the  most  ex 
alted  type  of  woman  could  arouse  to  enthusiasm. 
He  had  waited  steadfastly,  despite  doubts  and  dis 
couragement,  to  be  rewarded  at  last.  .His  love  was 
blind  and  yet  was  not  blind  ;  blind  because  so  in 
tense  that  nothing  would  be  able  to  impair  it,  and, 


1 92  FACE    7O   FACE. 

on  the  other  hand,  intelligent,  because  he  could  un 
derstand  and  account  for  it.  Convert  as  he  was  in 
this  respect,  he  was,  to  his  own  thinking,  distinct  from 
most  lovers,  who  magnified  the  charms  of  their  mis 
tresses  beyond  recognition.  He  was  quite  prepared 
to  admit  that  his  was  merely  human,  and  that  she 
doubtless  had  faults  like  all  her  sex.  But  whatever 
they  might  be,  she  did  at  least  possess  an  individu 
ality  of  her  own  which  distinguished  her  from  the 
mass  of  girls.  It  was  this  that  had  done  his  busi 
ness. 

To  seek  out  the  why  and  the  wherefore  was  in  keep 
ing  with  his  inclination  toward  analysis  ;  but  when 
in  pursuance  of  the  same  line  of  reflection  he  remem 
bered  that  she  had  let  him  do  almost  all  the  talk 
ing  that  afternoon,  his  ardor  suffered  no  abatement. 
He  felt  that  it  had  been  her  inspiration  which  caused 
him  to  talk  and  expose  the  honest  truth  concerning 
himself.  Her  power  of  attraction  for  him  lay  in  the 
superiority  of  her  mental  tone  and  the  promise  of 
what  she  would  become  in  the  future,  rather  than 
in  anything  she  had  already  accomplished  or  opin 
ions  she  was  prepared  to  express.  Indeed  her  opin 
ions  must  change,  were,  in  fact,  changing  already. 
It  was  the  earnestness  of  her  soul  that  aroused  the 
best  instincts  of  his  own  nature,  and  made  it  seem 
possible  for  him  to  shake  off  the  garment  of  sloth 
which  was  threatening  to  settle  down  upon  him  ir 
remediably. 

Such  were  his  reflections  that  evening,  but  with 
the  morning  light  the  more  practical  question  of 


FACE    TO   FACE.  193 

how  he  was  to  win  his  ladylove  became  uppermost 
in  his  thoughts.  At  least  he  need  not  be  hampered, 
like  so  many  men,  by  pecuniary  considerations. 
He  could  afford  to  satisfy  his  wife's  every  wish  •, 
and  though  he  would  not  for  an  instant  suppose 
Evelyn  capable  of  being  influenced  by  his  money, 
it  was  something  to  be  in  a  position  to  offer  an  am 
bitious  girl  a  splendid  establishment.  It  was  a 
theory  of  his,  which  he  had  sought  to  express  in 
the  course  of  his  conversation  with  Evelyn  the  day 
before,  that  the  possession  of  wealth  was  a  necessary 
condition  to  the  development  of  human  society,  and 
he  remembered  that  she  had  listened  to  his  words 
with  attention.  In  any  event  he  would  be  able  to- 
manifest  his  devotion  by  sending  her  the  choicest 
flowers  in  the  market,  and  by  making  her  the  recipi 
ent  of  the  various  courtesies  which  only  a  rich  man 
can  be  prodigal  of.  Acting  on  this  impulse  he  de 
spatched  his  servant  to  inquire  if  Miss  Pimlico 
would  do  him  the  honor  of  driving  with  him  that 
afternoon.  $ 

But  Miss  Pimlico  proved  to  have  an  engagement, 
and  before  another  twenty-four  hours  had  elapsed 
Clay  realized  keenly  that  it  was  no  pastime  he 
had  cut  out  for  himself.  If  lie  expected  to  have  a 
shadow  of  a  chance  of  success,  there  was  not  a  mo 
ment  to  be  lost,  for  all  the  gilded  youth  of  Newport 
were  at  her  feet.  He  who  desired  to  see  anything 
of  her  must  follow  her  from  house  to  house  and  be 
grateful .  for  tcte-d-tetes  of  five  minutes'  duration. 
Accordingly  he  reappeared  in  the  gay  world  and 


194  FACE    TO   FACE. 

submitted  to  the  lionizing  wiles  of  wide-awake 
mammas,  in  order  that  he  might  be  near  the  woman 
he  adored,  clasp  her  hand  for  a  few  seconds  in  the 
whirl  of  the  waltz,  and  exchange  with  her  an  idle 
sentence  or  two  ;  for  that  was  the  limit  of  her  in 
tercourse  with  anybody,  so  great  a  favorite  had  she 
become.  It  was  something  to  stand  in  an  angle  of 
the  room  and  watch  her  beautiful  face,  radiant  with 
the  enjoyment  of  unalloyed  triumph  ;  but  there 
was  suffering  for  him  as  well  in  this  proceeding, 
since  he  could  not  but  reflect  that  he  counted  for 
nothing  in  her  happiness. 

It  did  not  take  people  long,  however,  to  perceive 
that  he  was  very  attentive  to  her,  and  he  reaped 
presently,  as  a  fruit  of  this  discovery,  numerous 
invitations  to  dinner-parties,  and  the  smaller  en 
tertainments  where  there  was  more  opportunity  to 
talk  uninterruptedly.  Being  so  great  a  catch  in  the 
financial  sense,  his  manifest  prepossession  in  favor 
of  the  attractive  stranger  caused  a  decided  flutter 
among  his  acquaintances,  whorhad  never  seen  him 
take  such  an  apparent  interest  in  any  young  woman 
before.  lie  seemed  to  have  rejuvenated,  so  said  the 
younger  men,  who  were,  mayhap,  jealous.  On  the 
other  hand,  there  was  among  the  shrewder  beaus  an 
impression  that,  having  brought  home  as  a  result  of 
his  foreign  travels  a  more  engaging  manner,  he  was 
merely  amusing  himself. 

But  it  was  immaterial  to  him  what  other  people 
thought.  His  concern  was  with  Evelyn's  own  state 
of  mind  ;  and  his  impression  of  this  caused  him 


FACE    TO  FACE.  195 

small  comfort.  During  the  three  weeks  that  elapsed 
before  she  went  away  to  Lenox,  there  were  only 
two  or  three  occasions  when  he  had  her  to  himself 
unreservedly,  as  on  that  Saturday  afternoon.  Their 
conversation  on  these  occasions  was  not  disappoint 
ing  to  him,  for  though  the  theme  discussed  so  ear 
nestly  at  the  prior  meeting  was  not  touched  upon 
directly,  he  found  himself  growing  eloquent  on  the 
various  questions  vitalized  by  the  poets,  philosophers, 
and  scientists  of  the  day,  apparently  to  her  deep  in 
terest.  Her  literary  tastes  were  not  unlike  his  own, 
and  as  she  herself  told  him,  the  interchange  of 
thought  and  opinion  at  such  times  was  the  only 
feature  of  American  life  which  had  not  been 
wholly  different  from  her  expectations.  It  was 
something  she  had  looked  forward  to  as  distinctive 
of  the  relations  of  young  people  in  this  country. 
But  even  when,  a  week  later,  he  was  riding  with 
her  frequently  through  the  beautiful  Berkshire 
woods,  the  thought  was  forced  upon  him  with  pain 
ful  distinctness  that  it  was  the  study  of  herself  that 
absorbed  her,  not  partiality  for  him,  and  that  she  en 
joyed  listening  to  his  theories  and  formalizing  her 
own  in  the  process  of  learning  to  know  the  world  as 
it  really  was.  lie  felt  that  she  regarded  him — if  she 
ever  took  the  trouble  to  analyze  her  sentiments  in 
respect  to  him — as  one  whose  opinions  supplied 
her  with  food  for  reflection,  thereby  satisfying  her 
conscience  for  the  time  being,  and  causing  her  to 
imagine  that  in  correlating  ideas  about  social  phil 
osophy  she  was  fulfilling  her  aspirations. 


FACE    TO   FACE. 

How  well  Jie  knew  the  difference  between  theo. 
ries  and  action,  and  what  a  hollow  substitute  one 
was  for  the  other  !  But  in  his  present  frame  of 
mind  he  felt  that  if  she  would  but  seem  to  care  even 
a  little  for  him  for  himself,  he  would  be  content  to 
ride  forever  by  her  side  without  a  thought  as  to 
the  world  and  its  development.  For,  though  cer 
tain  qualities  had  distinguished  her  in  his  mind 
from  other  girls,  but  for  the  existence  of  which  he 
might  never  have  fallen  in  love  with  her,  now  that 
he  did  love  her,  what  difference  did  it  really  make 
to  him  whether  they  existed  or  not  ?  She  herself 
stood  there  before  him  in  all  the  exquisiteness  of 
her  reality — that  was  sufficient.  His  soul  was  at 
fever-heat  with  a  passion  which  would  recognize  no 
let  or  hindrance. 

Such  was  the  answer  with  which  he  met  the 
doubts  that  sometimes  occurred  to  him  when  real 
izing  how  completely  futile  all  his  efforts  to  excite 
her  fancy  seemed  to  be,  he  tried  to  persuade  him 
self  that  he  had  been  deceived,  and  that  she  was 
inane  and  frivolous  as  the  rest  of  the  coterie  in 
whose  amusements  she  was  participating  with  such 
gusto.  It  was  a  vain  endeavor,  which  caused  him 
a  touch  of  additional  bitterness,  moreover,  from  the 
secret  consciousness  that  were  her  smiles  bent  on 
him  he  might  be  weak  enough  to  be  not  altogethef 
discontented  at  her  social  expansion.  For  how 
superbly  beautiful  she  looked  as  she  walked  across 
the  ball-room  floor,  faultless  in  pose  and  attire  '  He 
could  not  help  thinking  what  an  ornament  she  would 


FACE    TO   FACE.  197 

be  to  his  home.  He  pictured  her  at  the  head  of 
his  table  or  on  the  box-seat  of  his  coach,  and  with 
the  conception  came  the  thought  that,  if  she  were 
his,  perhaps  after  all  he  should  prefer  to  see  her 
thus  conventionally  elegant.  Would  he  like  to 
have  his  wife  peculiar  and  different  from  everyone 
else  ? 

At  any  rate  he  pursued  the  conventional  method 
of  wooing  her.  The  flowers  that  he  sent  her  were 
the  most  exquisite  the  horticulturists  could  supply. 
He  gave  a  ball  in  her  honor,  in  New  York,  shortly 
after  the  season  began,  which  was  declared  to  have 
outdone  all  former  entertainments  of  bachelors. 
He  was  continually  getting  up  coaching  parties  and 
theatre  parties  and  various  other  small  festivities 
which  he  thought  she  might  enjoy.  He  danced 
the  German  far  into  the  morning  for  her  sake  with 
the  regularity  of  a  youth  of  twenty-one,  and  never 
stayed  away  from  any  house  where  he  would  have 
the  opportunity  of  meeting  her.  But  all  in  vain,  it 
seemed  to  him.  She  was  sweet  and  gracious  as 
possible.  She  accepted  his  bouquets  and  perpetual 
homage  smilingly  and  without  demur,  just  as  she 
did  those  of  everybody  else.  So  far,  at  least,  there 
was  comfort,  that  she  treated  all  alike.  She  made 
no  distinctions  apparently  in  any  one's  favor.  But 
from  day  to  day  it  was  growing  more  and  more  evi 
dent  to  him  that  it  was  herself  alone  who  interested 
her.  As  she  had  declared,  her  eyes  had  been  opened 
to  the  appreciation  of  much  in  life  that  hitherto 
had  seemed  meaningless  to  her,  and  it  was  not  dif- 


FACE    TO  FACE. 

ficultto  perceive  that  a  realization  of  her  own  powers 
and  of  the  entrancement  of  personal  triumph  were 
included  in  her  discoveries. 

He  was  conscious  from  the  outset  of  the  thorough 
sympathy  of  two  others  at  least — his  mother  and 
Mrs."  Willoughby  Pimlico.  There  was  something 
almost  pathetic  even  to  him  in  the  elation  which 
his  mother  took  no  pains  to  conceal  at  his  evident 
infatuation.  Mrs.  Clay  was  discreet  enough  to  ask 
110  questions,  but  so  far  as  lay  in  her  power  she  aided 
and  abetted  his  endeavors  to  pass  as  much  time  as 
was  possible  in  the  society  of  his  Dulcinea.  She  felt 
apparently  that  there  was  a  probability  of  her  hopes 
being  realized,  and  that  whatever  her  original  pre 
disposition  might  have  been  in  favor  of  a  native 
daughter-in-law,  she  was  ready  to  welcome  her  son's 
choice  with  open  arms.  It  seemed  never  to  enter 
the  good  lady's  head  that  Miss  Pimlico  would  not 
jump  at  the  chance  of  changing  her  name  to  Mrs. 
Ernest  Clay,  thereby  securing  a  princely  fortune 
in  addition  to  one  of  the  best  and  cleverest  hus 
bands  in  the  world.  Her  only  anxiety  was  lest 
some  one  else  might  be  beforehand  in  proposing 
to  so  charming  a  young  person,  and  as  time  went 
on  and  no  further  developments  rewarded  her  dis 
creet  silence,  she  broke  her  resolution  to  the  ex 
tent  of  dropping  a  few  hints  as  to  the  wisdom  of 
bringing  matters  to  a  crisis,  and  the  ominous  frown 
with  which  these  overtures  were  received  were  the 
first  intimations  she  obtained  that  the  courtship 
might  not  be  running  entirely  smoothly.  What 


FACE    TO   FACE.  199 

could  be  the  matter,  she  wondered.  It  would  be  too 
disheartening  if,  after  all,  Ernest  was  going  to  with 
draw  at  the  eleventh  hour. 

In  her  perplexity  she  tried  to  get  a  little  light  on 
the  subject  by  making  a  few  adroit  insinuations  in  the 
presence  of  Mrs.  Willoughby,  but  with  small  success. 
She  found  her  i-eticent  and  rather  grave,  although  ap 
parently  not  altogether  satisfied  with  the  condition 
of  affairs,  which  indeed  was  the  case.  But  it  so  hap 
pened  that  the  very  next  day — it  was  early  in  Feb 
ruary — Clay  resolved  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  his 
passion  and  his  doubts  5n%  this  same  quarter.  Ever 
since  the  evening  he  had  dined  at  Mrs.  Willoughby's 
house  at  Newport,  he  had  abstained  from  referring 
to  Evelyn  in  her  presence.  He  had  perceived  al 
most  at  once  that  she  had  guessed  the  truth,  and  he 
was  willing  that  she  should  know  it.  But  desperate 
as  was  his  devotion — perhaps  because  lie  was  so 
completely  in  earnest — he  had  shrunk  from  confi 
ding  his  secret  in  words.  And  she  had  respected 
his  reserve,  however  much  she  longed  to  have  him 
entrust  his  hopes  and  fears  to  her  keeping.  He  had 
felt,  however,  sure  that  she  was  on  his  side.  He 
had  read  in  her  expression  encouragement  and  sym 
pathy.  Moreover  she  had  given  him  every  facility 
at  her  disposal  for  carrying  on  his  suit. 

At  length  in  his  despair — for  his  despondency 
was  fast  approaching  that  pitch — it  occurred  to 
him  that  two  heads  might  be  better  than  one.  It 
was  possible  that  Mrs.  Willoughby  would  be  able 
to  relieve  his  embarrassment,  if  only  by  telling  him 


2OO  I-ACF.    TO   FACE. 

that  his  passion  was  vain.  She  would  at  least  know 
whether  his  chances  were  hopeless,  and  give  him 
some  idea  of  how  he  stood  in  the  graces  of  her  cou 
sin.  He  had  no  doubt  that  she  would  be  glad  to 
have  him  win  her.  Was  it  not  she  who  had  im 
pressed  upon  him  what  a  charming  wife  Miss  Pim- 
lico  would  make  ? 

Accordingly  one  afternoon  when  he  happened  to 
find  Mrs.  Willoughby  alone  beside  her  tea-urn  he 
looked  up  at  her  suddenly  and  said  : 

"  I  want  to  ask  your  advice  about  something." 

"Well,"  she  answered  presently,  as  he  did  not 
go  on,  "  what  is  it  ?  " 

Mrs.  Willoughby  swung  the  tassel  of  the  sofa 
cushion  at  her  elbow  gently  to  and  fro.  She  was 
on  pins  and  needles,  trusting  from  the  serious  tone 
of  his  voice  that  he  meant  to  confide  in  her,  and 
feeling  that  if  the  matter  proved  to  be  other  than 
the  one  she  had  at  heart,  she  would  run  the  risk  of 
offending  him  and  introduce  the  subject  herself. 
For  it  was  terribly  on  her  mind. 

"  I  am  in  love,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  suppose  you 
require  to  be  told  with  whom,"  he  continued  after 
a  pause. 

"With  my  cousin  ?"  she  said  gently. 

"Yes,  I  adore  her." 

"  I  told  you  she  was  charming." 

"  She  is  the  sweetest  girl  in  the  world.  I  took  it 
for  granted  that  you  understood  I  was  serious." 

"You  were  right.  A  man  of  your  type  is  not  apt 
to  sit  up  into  the  small  hours  dancing,  and  send  a 


PACE    TO   FACE.  2OI 

young  lady  flowers  once  or  twice  a  week  merely  to 
amuse  himself." 

"  I  expect  to  be  laughed  at.  I  have  scoffed  all 
my  life  at  the  tender  passion,  or  rather  maintained 
that  the  woman  did  not  live  who  could  make  me 
miserable." 

"  I  have  no  intention  of  laughing,  Mr.  Clay.  But 
you'll  bear  witness  that  I've  always  declared  your 
hour  would  come.  Believe  me,  I'm  very  much  in 
terested." 

"Yes,  my  hour  has  come,"  he  answered,  quietly. 
"  Puritan  ancestors  to  the  contrary,  notwithstanding, 
I  could  rave  with  the  most  ardent,  if  that  proof  were 
needed  to  show  that  I  am  in  earnest.  I  think,  how 
ever,  it  is  enough  to  tell  you  that  I  wish  to  marry 
Miss  Pimlico,  and  that  my  future  happiness  is  de 
pendent  on  it." 

"  With  all  my  heart,  so  far  as  my  consent  goes. 
But  you  can  scarcely  be  in  doubt  as  to  that  ?" 

"  No,  you've  been  very  kind.  I  have  appreciated 
that  you  were  well  disposed  toward  me.  That's 
one  reason  why  I  have  ventured  to  speak  of  the 
matter.  Tell  me  this,  have  I  a  shadow  of  a  chance, 
is  she  still  free  ?  " 

"If  you  mean  whether  Evelyn  is  engaged  or 
likely  to  become  engaged  to  anyone,  Mr.  Clay,  I 
think  you  need  give  yourself  no  anxiety." 

"  Thank  heaven  for  that,  at  least." 

"Answer  me  a  question  in  turn,  if  you  will? 
have  you  made  her  an  offer  ?  " 

"  Not  yet" 


2O2  FACE    TO   FACE. 

''  So  I  presumed." 

"  But  she  does  not  care  a  snap  of  her  finger  for 
me,"  he  said,  as  if  to  explain  his  delay. 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Because  she  treats  me  just  like  everyone  else." 

"  I  see,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby,  and  she  frowned 
slightly. 

"  She  can  have  no  question  as  to  what  my  feel 
ings  toward  her  must  be,"  continued  Clay.  "  It 
seems  to  me  I  must  have  made  them  tolerably 
plain." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  bent  her  brows  reflectively.  "  I 
can't  see  any  reason  why  you  should  despair." 

"  But  you  don't  deny  that  she  doesn't  care  for  me 
at  present." 

"To  tell  the  truth,  Mr.  Clay,  I  don't  know  how  to 
answer  you.  We  are  such  old  friends,  and  I  should 
be  so  pleased  to  see  what  you  desire  brought  to  pass, 
that  I  will  confess  to  you  frankly  I  am  fairly  per 
plexed  in  regard  to  my  cousin.  I  don't  know  what 
to  think  of  her  exactly.  To  begin  with  I  am  not 
at  all  sure  that  she  realizes  anyone  is  in  love  with 
her." 

"  What,  then,  does  she  suppose  my  attentions 
mean  ? " 

"  If  my  theory  is  correct,  I  presume  she  has  never 
stopped  to  inquire.  She  has  gone  on  from  day  to 
day  enjoying  herself,  and  accepting  what  was  offered 
her,  without  considering  whether  the  flowers  and  the 
invitations  to  dance  the  German,  and  the  perpetual 
homage  lavished  on  her,  had  any  special  significa< 


FACE    TO  FACE.  2O3 

tion  or  not.  It  seems  incredible,  I  admit,  seeing 
that  there  are  half  a  dozen  other  men  quite  as  des 
perate  as  yourself  who  would  marry  her  to-morrow, 
if  they  thought  she  would  have  them.  But  the  only 
other  supposition  is  she's  a  tremendous  flirt.  Now 
of  course  she  has  been  an  immense  success,  and  the 
way  she  carries  on  is,  entre  nous,  simply  amazing,  when 
one  reflects  how  she  appeared  just  after  she  arrived 
here.  Why,  Mr.  Clay,  if  anyone  had  prophesied 
then  that  before  six  months  had  past  Evelyn  would 
become  what  she  is  to-day,  I  should  have  ridiculed  the 
idea  as  preposterous.  Really,  sometimes  she  takes 
my  breath  away,  for  she  never  seems  to  tire  of  amus 
ing  herself.  As  you  know,  she  is  always  one  of  the 
last  to  leave  a  party  and  wouldn't  go  then  if  I  weren't 
at  hand  to  drag  her  off  by  main  force.  I  have 
rather  prided  myself  on  the  liberality  of  my  notions 
on  such  matters,  yet  there  is  moderation  in  all 
things.  I've  heard  it  said  that  English  girls  are 
very  hard  to  rouse,  but  that  once  started,  it  is  next 
to  impossible  to  stop  them,  and  I  fancy  it  must  be 
so.  Still,  as  I  was  saying,  I  have  come  to  the  con 
clusion  after  watching  her  carefully,  that  she  takes 
all  the  attentions  showered  on  her  simply  as  a  mat 
ter  of  course,  and  that  her  heart  is  untouched." 

"  Humph  !  Not  a  very  encouraging  outlook  for 
me." 

"  And  yet  I've  a  feeling,  Mr.  Clay,  that  when  she 
comes  to  scrutinize  her  sentiments,  she'll  find  that 
she  likes  you  better  than  anyone  else." 

"  What  grounds  have  you  for  thinking  so  ?" 


2O4  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"We  women  judge  by  little  signs.  In  the  first 
place,  whatever  else  may  be  said  of  your  adventure 
on  board  ship,  it  was  decidedly  romantic.  Girls 
don't  forget  that  sort  of  thing — at  least  a  girl  like 
Evelyn.  Then,  too,  you're  the  only  one  of  her  pres 
ent  admirers  who  has  appealed  to  her  intellectually, 
so  to  speak,  and  although  I  admit  that  her  recent 
behavior  has  somewhat  shaken  my  judgment  in  re 
gard  to  her,  I  can't  forget  my  first  impressions.  YOK 
know  first  impressions  are  supposed  to  be  the  best  ; 
and  I  remember  saying  to  myself  how  fortunate  it 
would  be  if  you  two  should  take  a  fancy  to  one  an 
other,  inasmuch  as  you  both  had  more  or  less  the 
same  tastes.  I  took  it  for  granted  that,  considering 
she  had  been  to  college  and  seemed  inclined  to  be 
a  little  eccentric  in  her  ideas,  she  wouldn't  be  con 
tent  unless  her  husband  was  the  kind  of  man  to  en 
joy  keeping  up  with  the  new  books,  and  the  new 
theories,  and  so  forth.  It  struck  me  that  you  were 
the  very  person  of  all  others  to  suit  her,  for,  if  I 
may  say  so,  you're  apt  yourself  to  be  a  wee  bit 
visionary  at  times,  you  know,  and  I  felt  almost  cer 
tain  that  you  would  interest  her.  And  I  believe 
you  did  interest  her,  and  that  this  irrepressibility  is 
merely  a  passing  phase  which  will  wear  off  after  a 
while.  For  there  must  have  been  some  foundation 
for  her  previous  behavior.  It  couldn't  very  well  have 
been  entirely  put  on.  Why,  I  had  the  greatest  diffi 
culty  at  first  in  convincing  her  that  we  shouldn't  all  be 
a  great  deal  better  off  out  on  the  prairies.  Still,  if 
it  were  necessary  to  choose  between  her  being  really 


FACE    TO   FACE. 

peculiar  and  being  merely  a  trifle  fast,  she  would 
be  much  preferable  as  she  is  ;  but  what  I  am  look 
ing  forward  to,  is  a  happy  mean.  Some  day  she 
will  wake  up  and  come  to  the  conclusion  that  she 
wants  to  settle  down,  and  then  will  be  your  oppor 
tunity,  if  you  don't  lose  heart  in  the  interim.  I 
won't  conceal  from  you,  Mr.  Clay,  that  I  have  been 
apprehensive  lest  you  should  be  driven  off  by  her 
apparent  lack  of  seriousness,  which  is  why  I  want  to 
impress  on  you  that  in  my  opinion  she  has  lost  her 
head  merely  for  the  moment,  and  that  before  long 
you  will  see  a  decided  change." 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  care  to  see  any  change.  I 
adore  her  as  she  is." 

"  You  are  bound  to  say  so,  of  course,  and  yet  nat 
urally  you  would  prefer  to  have  your  wife  not  quite 
so  pronounced  as  Evelyn  is  disposed  to  be  at  pres 
ent.  She  is  so  unusually  handsome  that  she  can 
afford  to  be  a  little  reserved,  and  while  I  wouldn't 
limit  her  in  her  amusements,  there  is  always  a  limit 
which  the  most  elegant  and  fastidious  people  avoid 
overstepping.  Don't  misunderstand  me,  I  beg.  I 
wouldn't  say  this  to  anyone  else.  But  I  am  trying 
to  put  myself  in  your  place  ;  and  I  can  appreciate 
that  you  would  be  disappointed  if  she  were  to  turn 
out  a  flibbertigibbet  instead  of  the  charming  imper 
sonation  of  grace  and  cleverness  you  had  imagined. 
Wait,  I  say  again.  Bide  your  time.  I  can  remem 
ber  the  flush  of  her  cheeks,  and  how  her  eyes  used 
to  sparkle  after  the  rides  on  horse-back  you  took 
together  at  Lenox." 


2O6  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"  It  was  with  herself  she  was  engrossed,  not  with 
me,"  he  said,  recalling  his  cogitations. 

"  Perhaps.  But  a  girl  does  not  remain  interested 
in  herself  forever." 

"Yet  you  think  she  would  refuse  me  if  I  were  to 
make  her  an  offer  to-morrow  ? " 

"  There  would  be  danger  of  it.  I  see  no  harm  in 
telling  you  that  I've  sounded  her  on  the  subject  of 
all  her  admirers,  but  either  she's  very  deep  or,  as 
you  and  I  have  agreed,  she  doesn't  appreciate  the 
situation  in  the  least.  It  is  time  she  did,  however." 

"  It  may  be  that  the  first  man  who  informs  her  of 
his  love  in  unmistakable  terms  will  win  her.  You 
forget  that  I  ha\e  rivals." 

"  No  I  don't."  Mrs.  Willoughby  colored  and  hesi 
tated  a  moment.  "  If  I  tell  you  something,  you  must 
promise  on  your  word  of  honor  never  to  divulge  it. 
I  suppose  it's  rather  dreadful  of  rne,  but,  under  the 
circumstances,  I  feel  that  I'm  almost  justified.  She 
has  had  three  offers  already." 

"  Humph  ! " 

"  You  needn't  be  alarmed.  So  far  as  I  could  see, 
not  one  of  them  produced  the  slightest  impression 
on  her.  She  didn't  appear  to  realize  what  an  offer 
meant,  and  they  were  by  no  means  offers  to  be  re 
fused  without  reflection.  Besides,  no  matter  how 
little  a  girl  may  care  for  a  man,  it  is  natural  to  show 
some  feeling  ;  but  all  she  did  was  to  laugh  and  seem 
amused." 

"  I  am  willing  to  wait  if  you  think  it  best :  but 
how  Ions:  is  her  visit  to  last  ?  " 


FACE    TO  FACE. 

"  Indefinitely,  so  far  as  Willoughby  and  I  are  con 
cerned  ;  but  of  course  there's  a  liability  at  any  time 
of  her  being  ordered  home  ;  though  with  such  a  large 
family  of  girls  I  fancy  her  father  and  mother  would 
be  only  too  thankful  to  let  her  remain,  if  there  were 
any  chance  of  her  being  advantageously  married. 
Still  it's  high  time  I  took  some  steps  to  make  her 
understand  how  foolishly  she  is  behaving,  and  since 
you  have  spoken,  Mr.  Clay  (and  I  assure  you  I  ap 
preciate  the  friendliness  of  your  confidence  in  me), 
I  will  do  so  at  once." 

"  Then  I'm  to  go  on  as  usual  until  I  hear  from 
you  again  ? " 

"Yes.  Let  me  see — I'm  not  sure  but  that  you 
would  be  wise  to  go  away  for  a  week  or  so.  She 
will  miss  you,  and  that  may  work  in  your  favor." 

"  I've  been  wanting  for  some  time  to  see  how  my 
place  on  the  Hudson  is  getting  on,"  said  Clay.  "  I'll 
run  up  there  for  a  few  days.  You  know  I'm  reno 
vating  my  father's  old  house  ?" 

"  So  I  have  heard.  The  view  from  it  is  charming, 
I  believe.  Very  well  ;  and  if  anything  turns  up,  I 
will  send  you  word." 

After  he  had  gone,  Mrs.  Willoughby  sat  lost  in  re 
flection  until  it  was  necessary  to  dress  for  dinner. 
She  felt  delighted  at  having  discovered  Clay's  real 
sentiments,  for  though  she  had  long  appreciated 
that  he  was  in  love  with  Evelyn,  she  had  tortured 
herself  with  frequent  questionings  as  to  what  ef 
fect  her  cousin's  unexpected  frivolity  was  having 
upoc.  his  predisposition.  But  now  she  was  confi- 


2O8  FACE    TO  FACE. 

uent  that  his  passion  for  the  time  being  was  far 
too  ardent  to  be  influenced  by  any  such  considera 
tions.  It  seemed  to  her,  however,  more  than  ever 
desirable  that  Evelyn  should  be  brought  to  realize 
how  matters  stood.  It  was  imperative  to  strike 
while  the  iron  was  hot.  She  dreaded  the  delibera 
tive  tendency  of  Clay's  mind,  which  delay,  by  les 
sening  the  fervor  of  his  infatuation,  might  bring 
into  play.  For  then  he  might  begin  to  inquire  why 
his  lady  love  was  so  unlike  her  former  self. 

As  Evelyn  went  out  to  dinner  that  evening,  Mrs. 
Willoughby  had  abundant  opportunity  to  decide 
upon  a  course  of  action  before  her  cousin's  return, 
which  was  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  just  after  Will 
oughby  Pimlico  had  been  induced  to  go  to  bed,  in 
order  that  the  coast  might  be  clear  for  an  explana 
tion. 

"  Who  do  you  suppose  was  there,  Cousin  Clara  ? " 
exclaimed  the  young  beauty  as  she  entered  the 
room,  throwing  aside  her  wraps  and  falling  into  an 
easy  chair.  "  Mr.  Brock  ! " 

"  You  don't  mean  so.     I  saw  he  had  returned." 

"  He  knew  me  at  once,  and  he  talked  to  me  for 
some  time  after  dinner.  He  wants  me — or  rather 
as — to  pay  him  a  visit  next  week  at  his  place  on  the 
Hudson.  He  has  promised  to  invite  a  party,  and 
that  we  shall  have  skating  and  tobogganing  to  our 
hearts'  content.  Wouldn't  it  be  fun  ?" 

"Whereabouts  is  it  ?  " 

"  Clyme  Valley  is  the  name  of  the  village,  I  be 
lieve.  It's  a  manufacturing  town  which  has  been 


FACE    TO   PACK.  2OQ 

in  existence  only  a  few  years.  But  his  place  is  more 
than  a  mile  away  from  the  factories  and  very  beau 
tifully  situated.  Isabel  Statterly  says  Mr.  Clay  owns 
the  adjoining  estate." 

"  Oh." 

"  A  letter  for  me  !  "  exclaimed  Evelyn,  as  her  eye 
chanced  to  fall  on  the  table.  "  From  mamma." 

"  Willoughby  forgot  to  give  it  to  you.  He  had 
it  in  his  pocket  all  the  evening.  But  it  will  keep 
until  you  go  up-stairs,  dear.  Who  else  was  there  ?" 

Evelyn  enumerated  some  of  the  company.  "  I 
had  a  lovely  time,"  she  said. 

"  What  a  queer  girl  you  are  !  "  said  Mrs.  Will 
oughby,  presently. 

"  You  used  to  say  that  often,  Cousin  Clara,  but  I 
flattered  myself  I  had  got  over  being  so,"  she  replied, 
with  a  laugh. 

"Well,  I  admit  you're  queer  in  a  very  different 
sort  of  way.  I  was  only  thinking  that  you  seemed 
to  act  as  if  you  expected  to  go  on  forever  as  you  are 
now." 

"Do  you  mean  that  you're  getting  tired  of  me, 
and  want  me  to  go  home  ?  " 

"  No,  dear.  What  I  mean,"  continued  Mrs.  Will 
oughby  with  an  air  of  some  asperity,  "is  that  I  think 
you  owe  it  to  yourself  to  be  a  little  more  circum 
spect.  Why  do  you  suppose  girls  go  into  society  ?" 

"  I'm   afraid  I  might  find   it   difficult  to  think  of 

any  good   reason   for  my  doing  so.     I    had  always 

intended  not  to.      But  I  went,  and  I  must  confess  to 

having  enjoyed  myself  thoroughly,"  answered  Eve* 

14 


2IO  FACE    TO  FACE. 

tyn,  who  WAS  sitting  with  her  hands  clasped  before 
her  gazing  wistfully  into  the  fire. 

41  You  would  have  been  an  ingratc,  indeed,  if  you 
hadn't  enjoyed  yourself,  for  no  girl  of  your  age  in 
New  York  in  my  recollection  has  received  more  at 
tention,  both  general  and  particular,  in  the  same 
space  of  time." 

"  I  hope  at  any  rate  you  will  feel  that  I  appre 
ciate  thoroughly  that  my  lot  would  have  been  very 
different  if  I  had  not  had  you  to  chhperone  me, 
Cousin  Clara." 

"To  be  sure  you  had  relations  here  who  were' able 
to  put  you  in  the  way  of  meeting  the  right  sort  of 
people,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby,  "but  we  couid  have 
been  of  very  little  service  to  you,  if  you  hadn't  hap 
pened  to  take.  Unquestionably  you  have  been  im 
mensely  admired,  and  it  seems  to  me  natural  that  it 
should  sometimes  occur  to  you  to  profit  by  the  fact." 

"What  is  it  you  want  me  to  do  that  I'm  not  doing?" 

44  What  do  you  suppose  was  your  father's  idea  in 
letting  you  come  over  here  ?  " 

44  To  get  rid  of  me,"  Evelyn  answered,  gleefully. 
44  No,  I  won't  say  that.  I  fancy  he  thought  the  ex 
perience  would  improve  me.  And  it  has.  How 
delighted  he  would  be  to  see  me  as  I  am  ! " 

44  That  was  one  reason,  undoubtedly.  There  are 
six  girls,  I  believe,  besides  yourself  ?  " 

44  Yes." 

14  And  three  besides  yourself  unmarried  ?  " 

"  Frances  is  engaged,  you  know." 

"Three,  counting  yourself,   then.     Did   it  never 


FACE    TO  FACE.  211 

enter  your  head  that  one  of  your  father's  objects  in 
sending  you  to  America  might  be  that  you  would 
succeed  in  making  a  desirable  match  ?" 

"You  ought  to  hear  him  talk  about  America  and 
you  would  quickly  change  your  mind,"  said  Evelyn, 
"  It  would  be  the  last  straw,  if  I  were  to  commit 
such  a  misalliance  as  that.  They  would  cast  me  oft 
altogether." 

"Nonsense." 

"  It's  nonsense  to  suppose  he  had  any  such  pur 
pose  in  allowing  me  to  come." 

"  It  may  not  have  been  a  deliberate  purpose  cut 
and  dried  in  his  mind,"  answered  Mrs.  Willoughby  ; 
"  but  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  he  wouldn't  be 
gratified  if  you  were  to  become  engaged  to  some 
young  man  of  good  family  and  handsome  fortune  ? 
Of  course  he  would  be  delighted.  He  might  be 
anxious  at  first  until  it  was  explained  to  him  who 
and  what  the  young  man  was,  since  so  many  Eng 
lishmen  seem  to  think  we  are  all  savages,  but  when 
he  learned  the  truth  he  would  be  only  too  thankful 
to  feel  that  one  of  his  daughters  was  so  well  pro 
vided  for.  Your  father  is  by  no  means  rich,  Evelyn, 
and  the  expense  of  bringing  forward  all  you  girls 
must  be  a  serious  tax  on  him." 

"  If  that  is  the  case  I  do  not  intend  to  be  a  tax  on 
him  any  longer." 

"You  must  be,  until  you  marry." 

"Not  necessarily." 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do  ?     Go  into  service  ? " 

**  I  shall  do  something." 


212  FACE    TO   PACK. 

11  Don't  be  absurd.  A  girl  with  your  exceptional 
attractions  is  sure  to  marry  sooner  or  later." 

"  That  does  not  follow." 

"  There  is  no  law  to  compel  you  to  marry,  of 
course.  But  what  reason  have  you  for  wishing  to 
remain  single  ?  " 

"  None.  I  would  rather  be  married,  I  suppose, 
some  day." 

"  Well  then  ?  " 

"Well,  what,  Cousin  Clara?" 

"For  one  so  intelligent  in  many  ways  you  cer 
tainly  have  very  little  knowledge  of  the  world, 
Evelyn.  A  woman  doesn't  remain  young  and 
beautiful  forever.  It  maybe  highly  entertaining  to 
refuse  two  or  three  good  offers,  but  on  that  theory 
the  day  is  likely  to  come  when  you  will  realize  that 
you've  made  a  mistake.  Then  it  may  be  too  late. 
You  are  now  looking  as  well,  probably,  as  you  ever 
will  look  in  your  life.  You  have  already  had  several 
chances  to  marry,  such  as  most  girls  would  have 
jumped  at.  I'm  not  blaming  you  for  not  taking 
advantage  of  them,  as  you  said  the  young  men  didn't 
happen  to  please  you.  Well  and  good.  But,  my 
dear,  it  is  time  you  gave  the  question  some  little 
thought.  Eligible  husbands  are  not  to  be  had  for 
the  asking,  every  day,  even  by  young  women  so 
prepossessing  as  yourself.  Your  whole  future 
happiness  may  be  affected  by  ignoring  at  this 
period  the  true  perspective  of  things." 

"  But  surely  you  don't  want  me  to  marry  a  man 
I  don't  love  ? " 


FACE    TO   PACK.  21$ 

"  Certainly  not.  But  I  will  say  at  once,  that  I  think 
a  great  many  girls  in  this  age  of  the  world  blast  their 
prospects  for  life  by  refusing  men  in  every  way  adapt 
ed  to  make  them  excellent  husbands,  and  whom  they 
have  nothing  to  urge  against,  because  they  have  hug 
ged  a  delusive  ideal  as  to  the  degree  of  infatuation  it  is 
necessary  to  be  conscious  of,  before  they  are  entitled 
to  consider  themselves  in  love.  There  are  undoubt 
edly  now  and  then  among  people  of  our  condition, 
instances  of  couples  completely  carried  away  by  the 
intensity  of  their  mutual  feelings  ;  but  they  are 
comparatively  rare,  and  I  am  not  at  all  sure  but  that 
the  happiest  marriages  are  those,  the  contracting 
parties  to  which  are  not  blinded  to  each  other's 
limitations.  You  must  bear  in  mind,  Evelyn,  that 
as  we  grow  in  intelligence  and  cultivation,  our  criti 
cal  faculties  are  apt  to  become  correspondently  de 
veloped,  and  we  find  it  much  less  easy  to  go  into 
ecstasies  over  anybody.  It  is  a  pity,  of  course,  and 
it  makes  one  inclined  sometimes  almost  to  envy  the 
more  inflammable  tendencies  of  the  masses  who  are 
able  to  clothe  their  Darbys  and  Joans  with  all  the 
qualities  of  perfection.  The  many  considerations 
which  have  to  be  taken  into  account  before  marry 
ing  in  our  sphere  of  life  at  the  present  day,  make  it 
seern,  however,  on  the  whole,  a  wise  dispensation  of 
Providence  that  our  young  people  shouldn't  lose  their 
heads  too  easily.  The  world  is  a  practical  one,  after 
all,  and  good  common-sense  considerations  should 
be  allowed  to  have  their  influence  in  determining  so 
vital  a  step — especially  to  a  girl — as  matrimony." 


214  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"Then  it  was  only  a  dream,  like  the  rest  ? "  Evelyn 
said,  soliloquizingly,  and  with  her  gaze  bent  on  the 
fire.  "Though  I  might  have  known  that  it  was 
so." 

"  What  was  all  a  dream  ?  " 

"Nothing.  I  was  merely  thinking  aloud.  I  sup 
pose  I  must  have  had  too  exaggerated  notions  as  to 
such  things." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  was  silent  a  moment  ;  then  she 
said. 

"  I  am  the  last  person  to  make  light  of  sentiment 
or  to  applaud  marriages  induced  by  material  mo 
tives.  Girls  must  marry,  however,  and  men  being 
but  human  cannot  come  up  to  the  ideal  which  every 
woman  is  apt  to  form  regarding  the  individual 
she  will  choose  for  a  husband.  And  in  analogy  to 
what  I  was  saying  a  few  moments  ago,  the  more  cul 
tivated  we  grow  the  more  exalted  is  the  conception 
likely  to  be.  It  doesn't  do,  therefore,  to  forget  that 
a  practical  reason  for  a  woman's  marrying  is  to  ob 
tain  a  home.  In  other  words,  a  good  match  signifies 
plenty  of  coal  and  wood,  and  groceries,  and  car 
riages,  and  dresses,  and  the  ability  to  give  one's  chil 
dren  an  education  and  the  power  of  going  abroad. 
The  larger  the  means  of  the  person  you  marry,  the 
better  able  will  you  be  to  have  and  do  all  these  things. 
I  grant  you  they  count  for  very  little  compared  with 
having  a  husband  who  is  worthy  of  esteem,  but  they 
are  undoubtedly  among  the  chief  blessings  of  life, 
and  when  they  are  offered  by  a  man  whose  character 
is  in  every  respect  above  reproach,  a  girl  who  lets 


FACE    TO   FACE.  215 

them  escape  her  wrongs  herself  seriously,  it  seems 
to  me.  She  gives  up  what  the  mass  of  humani 
ty  are  struggling  after  because  of  a  mere  whim, 
without  bearing  in  mind  that  love  is  almost  cer 
tain  to  follow  marriage,  provided  you  respect  the 
person  who  asks  you  to  become  his  wife.  There 
is  more  involved  than  a  mere  question  of  per 
sonal  preference.  One  is  bound  not  to  neglect 
opportunities  for  happiness  without  an  adequate 
cause." 

''And  you  think  I  have  been  neglecting  mine  ?" 

"You   have  had  some  very  excellent  offers." 

"  From  men  worthy  of  esteem  ?" 

"I  should  say  so,  decidedly.  Every  one  of  them 
would  have  made  you  a  good  husband.  What  is 
there  to  be  said  against  them  ?  " 

"Nothing  that  I  know  of.  Merely  I  haven't  felt 
the  slightest  desire  to  marry  anybody  at  present." 

"  Precisely.  That's  why  I  have  ventured  to  call 
your  attention  to  the  fact  that  it  may  be  a  duty  you 
owe  your  family  to  give  the  subject  a  little  more 
heed." 

"  I  see." 

"  Mind  you,"  continued  her  cousin,  "  I'm  not  re 
gretting  that  you  didn't  see  fit  to  take  one  of 
those  young  men.  In  fact,  I  think  that  you  may  be 
able  to  do  even  better.  But  I  wished  to  open  your 
eyes,  so  to  speak,  to  the  practical  side  of  the  ques 
tion.  There  is  a  man  devoted  to  you  at  present 
whom  I  think  any  girl  should  feel  flattered  to  have 
attentive  to  her." 


2l6  FACE   TO   FACE. 

"  To  whom  do  you  refer  ?  " 

"  Ernest  Clay." 

"Mr.  Clay  has  been  very  kind,"  Evelyn  answered, 
after  an  instant. 

"  Kind !  What  an  extraordinary  expression  to 
use  in  regard  to  a  man  who,  if  he  could  have  his 
own  way,  would  never  let  you  out  of  his  sight ! 
Kind  !  Why,  it's  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  your  face 
that  he's  desperately  in  love  with  you  !  " 

"  Is  he  ?  "  said  Evelyn,  plucking  a  leaf  from  one 
of  the  roses  in  her  bouquet.  "  What  makes  you 
think  so  ?  " 

"  Do  you  suppose  a  man  of  his  years  and  tastes 
would  be  likely  to  follow  you  about  everywhere, 
sending  you  flowers  and  sitting  up  into  the  small 
hours  dancing  the  german  with  you  merely  to  amuse 
himself  ? " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  I  have  never  considered 
whether  he  would  or  not.  I  enjoy  his  attentions 
and — the  roses  he  sends  are  exquisite.  I  haven't 
thought  beyond  that." 

"  If  you  don't  look  out,  Evelyn,  you  will  get  the 
reputation  of  a  flirt.  Coquetry  is  all  very  well  as  a 
means,  but  no  girl  ever  gains  anything  by  heartless- 
ness." 

"  I  heartless,  Cousin  Clara  ?  Perhaps  I  am. 
That  has  never  occurred  to  me." 

"  I  have  wondered  occasionally  if  it  might  not  be 
so.  But  no,  I  hit  it  at  first.  The  trouble  is,  you 
have  gone  on  enjoying  yourself  from  day  to  day 
without  realizing  that  anything  more  was  ex- 


SACE    TO   FACE.  2I/ 

pccted  of  you  than  that  you  should  have  a  good 
time." 

"  I  have  had  that  certainly." 

"  And  in  return  don't  you  think  it  might  be 
advisable  for  you  to  settle  down  and  marry  Mr. 
Clay  ?  " 

"  As  you  once  said  in  speaking  of  this  subject 
before,  I  had  better  wait  until  he  asks  me." 

"  Then  he  never  has  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Willoughby, 
diplomatically. 

"  Never." 

"  But  how  can  you  expect  a  man  to  propose  to 
you,  Evelyn,  unless  you  give  him  some  little  en 
couragement  ?" 

"  I'm  not  expecting  anything.  It's  you  that  are 
expecting." 

"  Well,  I  can  only  say  the  woman  whom  he  mar 
ries  will  be  extremely  fortunate,  and  that  you  never 
will  be  likely  to  get  a  better  offer." 

They  were  both  silent  for  a  little. 

"  And  supposing  that  I  did  marry,  what  should  I 
do  ?"  asked  Evelyn. 

"  Do  ?  I  don't  understand  exactly.  If  you  mar 
ried  Ernest  Clay,  you  could  do  pretty  much  what 
you  chose,  I  imagine.  He  is  enormously  rich,  as 
you  know,  and  so  far  as  expense  is  concerned, 
you  could  have  half  a  dozen  establishments,  a 
steam-yacht  large  enough  to  go  round  the  world  in 
— in  fact,  anything  that  happened  to  take  your 
fancy.  I  dare  say  you  would  divide  your  time  be 
tween  the  two  countries,  spending  the  season  in 


2l8  FACE    TO   FACE. 

London,  and  coming  to  us  for  the  winter.  Why, 
what  should  you  want  to  do  ?" 

"  I  can't  tell.  Then  the  effect  of  marrying  would 
be  that  I  should  go  on  as  I  am  now  ?" 

"Yes,  in  a  certain  measure,"  answered  Mrs.  Wil- 
loughby,  with  a  puzzled  air.  "  But  I  should  sup 
pose,  Evelyn,  that  you  would  wish  to  be  a  little  less 
frivolous,  if  I  may  use  the  word  ;  dining  out,  of 
course,  and  going  to  parties  freely,  but  at  the 
same  time  holding  yourself  in  reserve,  so  to  speak, 
rather  more.  That  would  naturally  follow,  how 
ever.  And  there  is  no  reason  why  two  people  with 
refined  tastes,  such  as  you  and  Mr.  Clay,  shouldn't 
have  the  most  exclusive  house  in  town.  You  would 
harmonize  so  well,  for  you  are  both  inclined  to  be 
literary  and  clever.  At  least,  you  gave  me  the  im 
pression  at  first  that  you  were  alarmingly  intellect 
ual,  but  I  must  say  I  don't  altogether  know  what  to 
make  of  your  recent  giddiness.  No  one  would  ever 
imagine,  to  look  at  you  now,  that  you  were  a  gradu 
ate  of  a  college.  Needless  to  say  I'm  rejoiced  that 
you  don't  appear  strong-minded,  only,  if  I  were 
you,  I  would  take  into  consideration. the  fact  that  a 
man  like  Mr.  Clay  may  very  possibly  have  been 
attracted  by  your  more  serious  side.  You  had  some 
interesting  discussions  during  the  passage,  you  told 
me,  and  afterward  at  Lenox  you  used  to  ride  on 
horseback  together,  and  talk  about  books  a  good 
deal,  I  fancy." 

"  And  since  then  I  have  scarcely  opened  a  book." 

"  I  think  it  is  a  eood  rule  to  trv  and  reserve  a 


FACE    TO   FACE.  2 19 

certain  day  in  the  week  for  serious  reading.  Other 
wise  one  never  keeps  up  with  the  times.  I  make  it 
a  point  to  read  the  Nation  every  FYiday  morning." 

"  And  that  enables  you  to  keep  up  with  the 
times  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  think  so.  One  finds  out  in  that  way 
if  anything  dreadful  has  been  done  at  Washington, 
and  then  there  is  apt  to  be  an  English  letter,  and 
reviews  of  the  new  books." 

"  I  see." 

"  And  now,  perhaps,  we  had  better  go  to  bed. 
When  you  think  over  what  I  have  said,  you  may 
begin  to  feel  that  I  am  right." 

"I  shall  certainly  think  it  over,  Cousin  Clara," 
whereupon  they  kissed  each  other  affectionately 
and  went  up-stairs. 


XL 


EVELYN,  on  reaching  her  room,  sat  pensive  for 
several  minutes  before  opening  her  letter  from 
home.  The  letter  proved  to  contain  disagreeable 
news.  Some  American  securities  held  by  her  father 
had  gone  down  in  price,  in  consequence  of  which 
he  had  met  with  a  heavy  loss.  Her  mother  wrote 
that  they  probably  would  not  be  able  to  take  a  house 
in  town  the  coming  season,  and  that  Florence  and 
Muriel  would  have  to  be  very  quiet.  She  urged 
Evelyn  to  be  as  economical  as  possible,  and  after 
some  other  information  of  an  unimportant  charac 
ter,  this  postscript  followed  : 

"  Both  your  father  and  I  are  of  the  opinion  that 
you  would  do  well  not  to  discourage  any  young 
man  who  may  happen  to  take  a  fancy  to  you  merely 
because  he  is  an  American." 

The  uppermost  thought  in  Evelyn's  mind  upon 
finishing  the  letter  was  what  an  annoyance  and 
mortification  the  loss  must  be  to  her  parents.  She. 
knew  that  almost  anything  would  have  been  more 
easy  for  them  to  bear.  It  was  impossible  to  tell, 
from  her  mother's  account,  the  extent  of  the  mis 
fortune,  but  it  must  necessarily  be  serious  or  she 
would  never  have  mentioned  it. 


FACE   TO  FACE.  221 

When  she  got  so  far  as  to  think  of  the  effect  on 
her  personally,  she  re-read  the  postscript.  How 
strange  that  the  letter  should  have  come  just  in  time 
to  corroborate  her  cousin's  statement.  Whether  or 
not  her  father  had  sent  her  to  the  United  States 
with  the  expectation  that  she  would  make  a  brill 
iant  match,  it  was  now  clear  that  the  family  would 
be  pleased  to  hear  of  her  engagement.  Was  it,  then, 
her  duty  to  sacrifice  herself  for  their  relief  ?  Either 
that,  she  argued,  or  to  cease  to  be  a  tax  on  them. 
But  how  succeed  in  ceasing  to  be  a  tax  on  them  ? 
She  reflected  that  it  would  be  time  enough  to  think 
of  ways  when  it  became  necessary  to  adopt  that 
alternative.  She  must  try  first  to  reconcile  herself 
to  marrying  somebody. 

She  felt  that  the  scales  had  fallen  from  her  eyes 
in  a  single  moment,  as  it  were.  It  seemed  to  her  as 
though  she  had  been  living  the  past  few  months  in 
a  delicious  dream  marred  only  by  the  half-dread  of 
waking.  And  now  she  had  come  to  herself  and  was 
face  to  face  with  the  real  world  once  more — the 
practical  world,  as  her  cousin  Clara  called  it,  which 
was  the  same  everywhere. 

Is  marriage,  then,  she  asked  of  herself,  a  conven 
tion, merely — the  means  of  supplying  one's  self  with  a 
home,  and  the  comforts  of  life  ?  Her  cousin  had 
told  her  that  love  is  likely  to  come  after  marriage, 
provided  one's  husband  is  a  man  worthy  of  esteem, 
and  that  in  this  civilized  age  it  was  very  difficult  to 
become  enthusiastic  about  anybody.  How  opposed 
to  this  view  was  her  own  theory — had  not  so  many  of 


222  FACE    TO   FACE. 

her  theories  hitherto  been  refuted  ? — that  a  woman 
should  not  marry  without  feeling  herself  in  love! 
But  what  was  love  ?  She  had  dreamed  of  a  happi 
ness  inspired  by  the  nobility  of  her  lover's  soul,  and 
dreamed  that  she  should  find  it  here.  But  even 
here  she  was  told  that  men  were  but  human,  and  to 
beware  of  expecting  too  much,  lest  in  seeking  after 
the  ideal  she  miss  substantial  benefits.  W?s  her 
theory,  then,  a  Utopian  delusion,  to  be  dismissed  like 
the  rest  ? 

Her  cousin  wished  her  to  marry  Mr.  Clay,  and  had 
declared  that  he  was  deeply  in  love  with  her.  Yes 
terday  the  wedding-symbol  had  seemed  no  nearer 
to  her  finger  than  a  ring  round  the  moon.  She  had 
never  thought  of  marrying.  She  was  on  a  visit,  and 
was  enjoying  herself,  and  if  doubts  had  assailed  her 
at  moments  as  to  the  wisdom  or  outcome  of  her 
delightful  experience,  she  had  met  them  with  the 
reflection  that  it  would  soon  come  to  an  end,  and 
that  she  need  not  trouble  herself  about  the  future 
until  her  passage  was  engaged.  She  had  been  flat 
tered  by  the  offers  she  received,  but  the  idea  of 
accepting  any  one  of  them  had  not  once  entered 
her  mind.  Mr.  Clay  in  love  with  her  !  She  had 
known  this,  perhaps — at  any  rate,  been  vaguely  con 
scious  of  it.  She  had  enjoyed  his  attentions.  He 
had  been  very  kind  ;  and  her  cousin  said  he  wished 
to  make  her  his  wife,  and  was  only  waiting  for  a  lit 
tle  encouragement  to  ask  her.  He  was  very  rich, 
and  there  was  everything  to  be  said  in  his  favor. 
If  she  let  this  chance  go  she  might  never  hare  so 


FACE    TO   FACE.  22$ 

good  a  one  again.  Mr.  Clay  !  What  a  strange 
freak  it  was  that  had  first  brought  them  together  ! 
More  than  six  months  had  passed  since  they  met  on 
the  steamer.  She  had  almost  forgotten  the  epi 
sode.  At  least,  they  never  spoke  of  it  now-a-days. 
They  had  become  friends — oh,  yes,  excellent  friends. 
She  always  found  it  pleasant  to  talk  with  him. 
They  had  many  tastes  in  common.  How  agreeable 
it  had  been  to  compare  notes  with  him  about  Dar 
win  and  Ruskin,  and  Browning  and  Huxley,  during 
the  horseback  rides  at  Lenox  !  She  had  never  been 
so  intimate  with  any  man  before.  She  had  grown 
accustomed  to  having  him  beside  her,  anticipating 
her  every  wish.  But  she  did  not  love  him.  Was 
that  being  heartless  ?  She  had  not  asked  him  to 
devote  himself  to  her.  Yet  again  it  might  be  that 
she  would  never  care  for  anyone  else  more  than 
she  did  for  him,  if  it  were  indeed  true  that  women 
in  her  class  were  apt  to  create  ideals  which  no  man 
could  satisfy.  Men  were  not  archangels,  and  women 
must  be  content  with  less  than  perfection. 

And  supposing  she  should  marry  Mr.  Clay,  what 
would  be  her  life  ?  She  would  have  numerous  estab 
lishments,  a  steam-yacht  in  which  to  sail  round  the 
world,  and  would  be  able  to  divide  her  time  between 
New  York  and  London  and  Paris.  She  would  be 
more  dignified  than  at  present  in  her  manner  of 
amusing  herself,  not  quite  so  demonstrative  and 
headlong,  giving  an  hour  or  two  each  week  to  the 
reading  of  the  Nation  so  as  to  keep  up  with  the 
times,  cultivating  her  taste  for  what  was  literary 


224  FACE    TO   FACE. 

and  clever  by  belonging  to  a  metaphysical  club,  per- 
haps,  and  going  down  into  the  slums  on  philan 
thropic  errands  in  the  intervals  of  calling  and  shop 
ping  and  lunching.  How  well  she  knew  the  part 
she  would  have  to  play  !  That  was  her  elegant  and 
fastidious  cousin's  life,  and  would  it  not  be  hers  ? 
A  little  less  frivolous !  The  thought  made  her  laugh. 
She  had  shocked  her  cousin  by  the  intensity  of  her 
enjoyment  during  the  past  months.  She,  who  had 
begun  by  disdaining  all  frivolities  !  But  that  was 
in  keeping  with  her  nature.  Whatever  she  did  she 
must  do  with  her  whole  soul.  It  would  be  impos 
sible  for  her  to  submit  to  the  fiddling  usages  of  su 
perfine  society,  tasting  gingerly  of  this  and  that, 
placid  and  self-contained. 

She  glanced  at  herself  in  the  mirror.  Men  called 
her  beautiful.  Even  in  her  short  experience  she 
had  realized  the  bewildering  intoxication  of  per 
sonal  success.  She  could  almost  sympathize  with 
those  whom  the  same  men  would  call  heartless 
coquettes.  There  must  at  least  be  excitement  and 
absorption  in  such  an  existence.  To  know  half  the 
world  to  be  sighing  at  one's  feet,  and  yet  be  able  to 
sweep  on  with  a  proud  smile,  would  be  actual  and  real 
while  it  lasted.  To  flit  aimlessly  from  drawing-room 
to  drawing-room,  simpering  inanities,  a  slave  to 
conventionalities  and  forms,  would  be  a  mere  pulse 
less  form  of  living.  She  must  have  air  and  space. 
And  if  she  were  to  rebel  after  marriage  against  the 
narrow  limitations  which  hemmed  her  in,  what  out 
let  would  she  find  save  some  such  mad  career  as  she 


FACE    TO   FACE.  22$ 

had  just  imagined  ?  What  indeed,  for  had  not  the 
man  who  wished  her  to  become  his  wife  shown  her 
how  vain  was  the  hope  of  trying  to  be  other  than 
like  everybody  else  ?  Could  she  expect  to  be 
stronger  than  the  rest  of  her  sex  ?  Once,  perhaps, 
she  would  not  have  feared  to  attempt  to  prove  her 
self  so,  but  now,  though  wiser,  was  she  still  s®  cou 
rageous  ? 

She  remembered,  too,  that  it  was  he  who  had 
pointed  out  to  her  the  power  of  wealth  at  the  time 
when  he  had  spoken  to  her  despairingly  of  its  re 
sponsibilities.  She  could  appreciate  now,  even  bet 
ter  than  then,  what  he  had  meant  by  saying  that  te 
obtain  the  means  of  living  was  the  end  and  object 
of  all  human  striving.  She  realized  that  the  posses 
sion  of  wealth  was  necessary  in  order  to  be  able  to 
have  much  that  in  a  short  space  of  time  had  seem 
ingly  become  indispensable  to  her.  Money  insured 
not  only  a  comfortable  home,  and  horses  and  car 
riages,  but  leisure  for  cultivation,  for  reading  and 
reflection.  The  whole  social  fabric  rested  on  the 
hypothesis  of  an  ample  income.  To  be  without  it, 
was  to  be  relegated  to  the  ranks  of  the  strugglers, 
which,  whatever  might  be  said  as  to  the  nobility  of 
labor,  was  a  step  retrograde.  While  battling  for  a 
livelihood,  one  necessarily  had  but  little  time  in 
which  to  prune  one's  ragged  edges.  Refinement, 
elegance,  and  grace  went  hand  in  hand  with  ex 
emption  from  toil.  The  world  became  beautiful 
through  the  making  and  transmitting  of  fortunes. 
There  could  be  no  doubt  that  to  acquire  and  lay 
15 


226  FACI-,    TO   FACE. 

up  riches  was  one  of  the  first  of  human  duties,  and 
that  on  their  accumulation  the  progress  of  civil iza? 
tion  was  largely  dependent. 

Formerly  she  would  have  cared  little  to  know 
that  she  was  poor,  but  now  she  was  conscious  that 
it  would  make  a  great  difference  to  her.  She  had 
grown  fond  of  comfort  and  luxury.  To  give  them 
up  would  be  harassing  to  her.  Why  need  she  give 
them  up?  Why  not  marry  Mr.  Clay  and  seek  to 
turn  his  millions  to  a  noble  use  ?  Ah  !  but  had  she 
riot  already  doubted  her  own  strength  ?  If  she 
loved  him,  that  might  be.  Could  she  hope  to  in 
fluence,  did  she  wish  to  influence,  a  man  whom  she 
did  not  love  ?  The  money  was  not  hers,  it  was  his. 
She  at  least  was  free  from  responsibility  in  being- 
poor.  Humanity  was  striving  and  toiling  for  the 
means  of  living  :  should  she  accept  immunity  from 
the  common  lot  as  a  gift  from  one  who  was  merely 
a  friend  ?  She  was  a  woman  ;  but  could  not  a 
woman  provide  fur  herself?  She  was  strong  and 
vigorous.  She  had  received  a  good  education. 
Why  should  she  not  work  instead  of  marry  ?  Her 
father  had  lost  his  money.  Was  that  any  reason 
why  she  should  become  the  wife  of  Mr.  Clay  ? 

True,  she  liked  him  better  than  anyone  else.  She 
had  in  her  bureau-drawer  trifles  which  he  had  given 
her,  and  she  had  thrown  away  other  men's  trifles. 
What  of  that  ?  She  did  not  love  him.  She  was 
sure  she  did  not  love  him,  and  whatever  the  rest  of 
the  world  might  say  there  was  such  a  thing  as  love. 
No,  she  would  not  marry  to  save  herself  from  need 


FACE    TO   FACE.  22/ 

How  little  she  knew  of  Mr.  Clay  after  all !  She  had 
even  despised  him  at  first.  Would  he  ever  be  likely 
to  be  different  from  what  he  was  now,  notwithstand 
ing  all  his  fondness  for  her,  if  indeed  it  were  genu 
ine  ?  Here  at  least  she  would  draw  the  line  in  her 
submission  to  taking  a  practical  view  of  life.  In 
having  to  support  herself,  she  would  not  be  ham 
pered  by  qualms  that  might  disturb  her  if  she  were 
rich.  It  would  simply  be  her  duty  to  try  in  some 
honorable  way  to  make  enough  to  live  on.  Parhaps 
— was  it  out  of  the  range  of  possibilities  ? — she 
might  make  a  fortune  herself.  That  could  be  her 
ambition.  And  if  ever  she  should  succeed  in"  doing 
so  and  were  able  to  command  the  luxuries  which  she 
now  enjoyed,  what  might  she  not  do  with  her  money  ? 
But  it  would  be  time  enough  to  think  of  that  when 
the  time  came. 

This  idea  of  entering  upon  a  career  of  her  own 
now  took  complete  possession  of  her  thoughts.  But 
the  longer  she  reflected  the  more  resolute  she  grew 
in  her  determination.  She  did  not  wish  to  be  under 
obligation  to  anybody.  She  was  resolved  to  leave 
her  cousin's  house  at  once  and  to  engage  a  lodging. 
She  had  money  enough  to  get  along  with  for  a  few 
weeks,  if  she  were  economical,  and  she  felt  that  by 
that  time  she  would  surely  have  found  occupation 
of  some  sort.  At  the  worst  she  would  be  able  to 
get  employment  in  a  store,  though  she  would  prefer 
to  obtain  pupils.  She  believed  that  after  a  little 
brushing  up  of  her  knowledge  she  would  be  well 
qualified  to  undertake  the  instruction  of  a  class  of 


228  FACE    TO   FACE. 

young  ladies.  That  would  be  a  beginning,  and  she 
would  seek  to  add  to  this  income  by  writing  for  the 
magazines  and  newspapers.  She  had  known  at 
home  several  women  who  made  a  considerable  sum 
every  year  in  this  way.  How  glad  she  was  now  that 
she  had  insisted  on  going  to  college  !  in  what  a 
plight  she  Would  have  been  had  she  been  content 
with  the  smattering  of  an  education  her  sisters  had 
received  ! 

She  went  down  to  the  breakfast-room  the  next 
morning  having  her  mind  thoroughly  made  up.  As 
soon  as  they  were  alone  she  handed  her  cousin  Clara 
without  comment  her  mother's  letter. 

"How  very  unfortunate!"  murmured  Mrs.  Wil- 
loughby  when  she  had  finished  it.  "American 
securities,'  too  !  I  believe  our  railroads  are  dread 
fully  watered,  and  that  it's  dangerous  to  have  any 
thing  to  do  with  them.  It's  a  great  pity." 

"  Papa  and  mamma  will  take  it  terribly  to  heart, 
I'm  sure." 

"  Yes,  I  fancy  it  will  oblige  them  to  alter  their 
style  of  living  for  the  present.  I  notice  your  mother 
speaks  of  not  expecting  to  hire  a  house  in  London 
for  the  season.  That  will  be  a  deprivation  to  the 
girls.  But  the  loss  may  not  prove  to  be  so  bad  as  she 
thinks.  Stocks  often  go  up  as  fast  as  they  go  down." 

"  There  can't  be  much  doubt  that  it  is  serious,  I'm 
afraid.  It's  far  from  pleasant  news." 

"  No,  it's  never  pleasant  to  lose  money.  Still,  it 
is  well  that  it  didn't  happen  two  or  three  years 
earlier,  before  the  others  were  married." 


FACE    TO   FACE.  22$ 

They  were  silent  for  a  few  moments,  and  then 
Mrs.  Willoughby  said:  "You  see,  Evelyn,  I  was 
not  altogether  wrong  in  regard  to  what  we  spoke 
about  last  night.  It's  curious  that  your  mother's 
message  should  have  been  in  your  hands  at  the 
very  time  \ve  were  discussing  the  question." 

"Yes." 

"  It's  very  evident  what  that  postscript  means. 
No  one  wishes  you  to  marry  the  first  man  with 
money  who  presents  himself.  Your  father  and 
mother  merely  express  the  opinion  that  if  some 
really  desirable  young  fellow  should  take  a  fancy  to 
you,  it  would  be  for  your  interest  to  accept  him. 
Of  course  it  would.  Under  these  additional  cir 
cumstances,  my  dear,  it  would  be  rank  folly  for  you 
not  to  smile  on  Ernest  Clay." 

"  I  promised  that  I  would  think  over  what  you 
said,  and  I  have,"  answered  Evelyn,  after  a  pause. 
"  I  have  tried  to  look  at  it  as  you  do,  but  I  can't. 
As  for  my  father  and  mother,  you  know  I  told  you 
before  learning  of  their  trouble  that  I  had  no  inten 
tion  of  being  a  burden  to  them  for  the  future." 

She  spoke  with  a  quiet  decision  that  alarmed 
Mrs.  Willoughby,  who  looked  up  and  said  :  "  Burden 
is  too  severe  a  word.  You  would  never  be  that  in 
any  event.  Only  you  must  see  that  if  you  were  to 
marry,  there  would  be  one  less  to  provide  for." 

"Certainly  I  do  ;  and  it  is  wholly  reasonable  that 
if  I  see  fit  to  refuse  such  good  offers  as  have  been 
made  me,  I  should  provide  for  myself.  I  feel  quite 
capable  of  doing  so." 


23O  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"  In  what  way,  dear  ? " 

"I  haven't  entirely  decided.  What  I  should  like 
to  begin  with  would  be  to  get  a  class  of  girls  to  in 
struct,  but  it  may  be  too  late  in  the  season." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  gazed  at  her  for  a  moment  in 
mute  astonishment,  then  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter. 

''  Are  you  crazy,  Evelyn  ?  " 

"  No,  Cousin  Clara,  in  sober  earnest." 

"  You  wish  to  be  a  nursery  governess  ?  " 

"  I  should  prefer  a  different  position,  but  I  would 
rather  be  that  than  nothing." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Merely  what  I've  already  told  you.  I  have  no 
income  of  my  own,  and  I'm  going  to  support  myself 
in  the  best  way  I  can." 

"  I've  always  had  a  feeling  that  you  might  end  by 
going  on  the  stage." 

"  I  hadn't  thought  of  the  stage,  but  if  I  discover 
that  I  possess  talent  the  stage  might  be  better  than 
anything  else." 

"  Are  you  serious  ? " 

"  Perfectly,  and  you  must  not  think  me  ungrateful 
if  I  tell  you  that  I  can't  stay  at  your  house  any  lon 
ger.  I  dare  say  you  wouldn't  want  me  to,  but  at 
any  rate  it  wouldn't  be  suitable.  I  shall  engage 
lodgings  somewhere." 

"This  is  preposterous.  You  must  know  that 
your  cousin  and  I  are  only  too  delighted  to  have 
you  with  us  whatever  happens.  I  was  thinking,  a 
few  minutes  ago,  after  reading  your  mother's  letter, 
that  it  would  be  an  excellent  plan  to  adopt  you,  so 


FACE    TO    FACE.  2$l 

to  speak,  and  keep  you  with  us  indefinitely.  I  was 
only  waiting  to  consult  Willoughby  before  mention 
ing  it  to  you.  Engage  lodgings  !  This  is  the  wild 
est  idea  I  ever  heard  of." 

"  I  was  afraid  you  wouldn't  like  it." 

"  Like  it  ?  What  do  you  think  your  family  would 
say  ? " 

"  I  imagine  they  would  be  opposed  to  it,  just  as 
you  are  ;  but  they  might  not  be  surprised,  because  I 
have  always  been  different  from  the  rest.  Besides, 
it  won't  matter  so  much  if  I  remain  over  here." 

"  Then   you  realize  the  madness  of  the  scheme  ?  " 

"  I  realize  that  some  girls  would  in  all  probability 
act  differently." 

"  Differently  !  "  Mrs.  Willoughby  leaned  back  on 
the  sofa  with  a  face  of  despair.  "My  head  is  all  in 
a  buzz.  It's  the  most  peculiar  notion  I  ever  heard 
of.  People  will  say  you've  lost  your  mind.  What 
do  you  mean,  Evelyn  ?  You  can't  surely  wish  to 
make  a  laughing-stock  of  yourself  and  put  us  all  to 
shame.  It  will  be  said  that  we  turned  you  out  of 
doors.  No  one  will  believe  that  you  would  act  so 
of  your  own  accord." 

"  I  will  take  care  that  you  are  not  held  respon 
sible.  I'm  sorry  to  distress  you,  Cousin  Clara,  after 
all  your  kindness  to  me,  but  I  feel  that  I  shall  only 
be  doing  right." 

"Right?  What  is  there  that's  right  about  it?" 
Mrs  Willoughby  exclaimed  passionately.  "Do  you 
appreciate  what  earning  your  own  living  means  ? 
In  six  months  you  will  be  coming  to  us  sick  and 


232  I' ACE    TO   FACE. 

discouraged,  to  tell  us  you  have  made  a  mistake. 
Then  it  will  be  too  late.  Young  men  are  not  fond 
of  marrying  women  with  bees  in  their  bonnets. 
Let  alone  the  folly  of  the  plan,  you  cannot  associate 
with  and  be  brought  in  contact  with  the  outside 
world  without  running  great  risks.  A  girl  of  your 
unusual  personal  appearance  would  at  once  chal 
lenge  the  attention  of  designing  persons.  You  have 
not  been  brought  up  to  take  part  in  the  rough-and- 
tumble  of  life.  There  is  a  fitness  in  all  things.  You 
have  refined  sensibilities  and  elegant  tastes." 

"  I  am  quite  aware,"  Evelyn  answered,  "  that  I  am 
in  a  certain  sense  taking  a  step  backward  in  life. 
I  should  much  prefer,  so  far  as  mere  choice  goes, 
to  be  able  to  continue  to  have  the  luxuries  I  have 
enjoyed  hitherto,  or  rather  which  I  have  learned  to 
enjoy  since  I  came  over  here.  But  I  am  not  in  love 
with  any  of  the  men  who  wish  to  marry  me,  and 
until  I  fall  in  love  I  do  not  wish  to  marry,  so  what 
am  I  to  do  ?  You  pointed  out  to  me  plainly  enough 
last  night  that  it  was  my  duty  not  to  be  an  incum-i 
brance  to  my  family." 

"You  misunderstood  me,  Evelyn." 

"Not  at  all.  Your  object  in  speaking  as  you  did 
was  to  lead  me  to  see  the  practical  reasons  for  mar 
rying,  but  the  logical  outcome  of  your  argument  is 
that  if  I  prefer  to  remain  single,  I  should  do  as  I 
am  proposing  to  do.  If  my  father  were  rich,  it 
would  be  a  different  matter.  I  am  young  and  strong. 
Why  shouldn't  I  work  ?  Nine  women  in  every  ten 
have  to  work.  Naturally  I  shall  endeavor  to  do 


FACE    TO   FACE.  233 

something  that  will  injure  as  little  as  possible  my 
social  position.  If  I  can  make  my  living  by  literary 
work,  for  instance,  I  shall  keep  to  that.  But  sooner 
than  be  dependent  on  other  people  any  longer,  I 
would  be  content  to  be  a  shop-girl.  I  have  learned 
to  recognize  that  money  is  one  of  the  things  which 
we  are  bound  to  have  in  this  world,  and  without  it 
one  cannot  expect  to  have  social  position." 

"  A  shop-girl,"  groaned  Mrs.  Willoughby.  "  That 
is  the  last  straw."  She  took  out  her  handkerchief 
and  wiped  her  eyes. 

For  some  moments  she  cried  steadily.  She  knew 
enough  of  Evelyn  to  be  certain  that  her  cousin  was 
in  earnest  at  the  present  moment,  and  that  it  would 
be  useless  to  argue  with  her  further.  She  had  not 
said  half  what  might  be  said  against  the  folly  of  such 
a  step.  To  her  perception  it  seemed  incomprehensi 
ble.  She  felt  fairly  dazed.  She  could  scarcely  have 
been  more  astonished  and  horrified  if  Evelyn  had 
proposed  wearing  a  bloomer  costume. 

But,  as  has  previously  been  indicated,  Mrs.  Wil 
loughby  never  renounced  without  a  struggle  any 
project  in  the  carrying  out  of  which  she  was  in 
terested.  She  wept  in  a  certain  measure  after  the 
first  outburst  of  anger  and  despair  in  order  to  gain 
time  for  reflection.  It  was  evident  to  her  that 
Evelyn's  eccentric  decision  was  due  principally  to 
the  ill  tidings  from  abroad,  and  she  said  to  herself 
that  if  subsequent  particulars  should  show  the  loss 
to  be  exaggerated,  that  decision  might  be  altered. 
She  was  resolved  not  to  admit  for  an  instant  the 


234  FACE    TO   FACE. 

possibility  of  such  a  humiliating  and  wild  pro, 
gramme  being  carried  out.  It  seemed  to  her  that 
one  would  be  almost  justified  in  shutting  up  a  girl 
in  an  asylum  to  prevent  it.  She  felt  sure  that  when 
Evelyn  should  think  the  matter  over  the  child 
could  not  fail  to  perceive  the  impracticability  of 
such  a  scheme.  Her  cousin  was  under  the  influ 
ence  of  excitement  now,  and  hardly  responsible  ; 
was  disturbed,  naturally,  at  the  loss  of  the  money, 
and  shrank  from  being  a  burden  to  her  parents' any 
longer.  But  when  it  came  to  an  actual  choice  be 
tween  the  course  proposed  and  marrying  a  man 
like  Ernest  Clay,  who  could  make  her,  and  her 
family  as  well,  comfortable  for  the  rest  of  their  days, 
and  who  would  be  in  every  other  respect  a  thorough* 
ly  admirable  husband,  it  could  not  be  that  Evelyn 
would  be  so  misguided  as  to  persevere  iti  her  ab 
surdity. 

Therefore,  when  Mrs.  Willoughby  found  her  voice 
at  last,  she  spoke  with  the  design  of  temporizing. 
"You  will  write,  Evelyn  (sob),  to  your  family  first 
and  tell  them  what  you  propose  (sob)  to  do  ? " 

"It  wouldn't  be  any  use.  I  know  in  advance 
what  they  would  think  of  it.  No,  I  had  better  look 
about  me  at  once  and  see  what  I  can  find  in  the 
way  of  employment.  I  have  a  little  monev  which 
will  pay  for  my  board  during  the  first  few  weeks. 
I'm  sorry,  Cousin  Clara,  but  I've  made  up  my 
mind." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  wrung  her  hands. 

"  You've  promised  Mr.  Brock  to  stay  with  him. 


FACE  TO  FA  a-:.  235 

You  can  wait,  at  least,  until  you  return  from  there 
before  you  come  to  any  conclusion." 

"  I  have  come  to  a  conclusion  already." 

"  But  you  have  accepted  his  invitation." 

"  I  have  no  intention  of  being  unreasonable,"  said 
Evelyn,  after  a  pause.  "  A  few  days  sooner  or  later 
will  make  no  difference,  of  course." 

•'  Then  you  will  go  to  Mr.  Brock's?"  asked  Mrs. 
Willoughby,  eagerly. 

"Yes." 

"  And  take  no  further  steps  toward  what  you  have 
mentioned  while  you  are  there  ?" 

"Very  well." 

Here  was  a  respite  at  least,  it.  seemed  to  Mrs. 
Willoughby,  and  the  most  must  be  made  of  it. 

As  has  been  indicated,  Mr.  Brock's  estate  was  de 
lightfully  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson. 
But  he  was  comparatively  a  new-comer  at  Clyme 
Valley,  which,  however,  had  been  known  as  Clyme 
Valley  only  since  the  establishment  of  his  successful 
manufacturing  companies  had  transformed  the 
sprinkling  of  cottages  at  the  base  of  the  hills  into  a 
busy  town  of  several  thousand  inhabitants.  His 
fancy  having  been  taken  by  the  scenery  of  the 
neighborhood  during  a  chance  pleasure-trip  some 
ten  years  before,  he  had  bought  a  large  tract  of  land 
there  and  built  a  handsome  house  at  which  it  was 
one  of  his  chief  pleasures  to  entertain  (with  lavish 
hospitality)  parties  of  friends  from  the  city  during 
the  summer  and  early  autumn.  Mr.  Brock  was  a 
self-made  man,  so  called,  in  that  he  had  acquired  his 


236  FACE    TO  FACE. 

large  fortune  through  his  own  personal  astuteness 
and  industry,  but  although  of  obscure  origin  he  had 
married  a  New  York  lady  of  aristocratic  associations, 
and  having  been  left  a  widower  and  childless  not 
long  after,  he  had  nevertheless,  by  dint  of  his  unfail 
ing  good  nature  and  a  bluff  force  of  character  which 
made  him  rather  interesting  because  of  its  oddity  to 
people  of  fashion,  ingratiated  himself  into  very  ex 
clusive  circles. 

This  is  how  he  came  to  be  on  terms  of  easy  friend 
ship  with  the  Pimlicos.  Mrs.  Willoughby  had 
always  been  a  favorite  of  his.  Pretty  girls  had  an 
especial  attraction  for  him,  and  he  was  fond  of  send 
ing  them  flowers  and  trinkets  and  giving  little  din 
ners  for  them  when  they  first  went  into  society. 
The  loss  of  a  niece  to  whom  he  was  much  attached, 
his  sole  surviving  relative,  had  saddened  him  greatly. 
The  establishment  of  the  Clyme  Valley  and  Wisabet 
Companies  had  really  been  undertaken  by  him  as  a 
means  of  diverting  his  mind  from  preying  upon  it 
self,  and  as  one  step  leads  to  another,  he  had  be 
come  interested  in  a  variety  of  new  enterprises  at 
the  time  when  he  was  petitioned  to  act  as  Evelyn's 
escort  across  the  ocean.  Accordingly,  "  Highlands," 
as  he  styled  his  place,  had  been  shut  up  of  late. 

Side  by  side  with  his  thirty  acres  lay  "  Seven 
Oaks,"  the  property  of  the  Clays,  which  had  been  in 
possession  of  their  family  for  many  years  previous 
to  the  date  when  Mr.  Brock  made  his  purchase. 
Ernest's  grandfather,  and  his  father  also,  had  been 
fond  of  it  as  a  cool  retreat.  There  had  been  a  period 


FACE    TO   FACE.  2,37 

when  the  residence  and  grounds  charmed  the  eyes 
of  visitors  by  their  elegance  and  taste,  but  since  the 
death  of  her  husband  the  Dowager  Clay  had  ceased 
to  go  there.  The  estate  had  been  allowed  to  fall 
more  or  less  into  decay.  The  old-fashioned  house 
was  in  need  of  repair,  and  the  grass  grew  in  the 
paths  faster  than  the  aged  gardener,  who  with  his 
wife  alone  held  watch  and  ward,  could  keep  it  in 
abeyance.  But  ever  since  he  could  remember, 
Ernest  had  enjoyed  passing  an  occasional  week 
there.  At  first  attracted  by  the  duck-shooting, 
which  was  fairly  good  at  times,  he  had  come  to  feel 
the  place  restful,  and  an  admirable  resort  for  study 
and  reflection.  When  he  wished  to  be  alone,  he 
went  to  "  Seven  Oaks."  The  long,  silent  avenues  of 
overgrown  trees  afforded  him  an  ample  pacing- 
ground  where  he  could  rhapsodize  with  only  the 
spirits  of  his  forefathers  to  bear  him  company. 
Here  he  wrote  poetry  and  indulged  in  aspiration, 
and  as  years  went  on  his  liking  became  a  sentiment. 
During  his  various  visits  he  had  observed  with  inter 
est  the  development  of  the  town  at  his  gates,  and  the 
information  that  a  controlling  share  in  one  of  the 
mills  to  the  prosperity,  of  which  the  settlement  owed 
its  existence,  was  for  sale,  found  him  a  ready  pur 
chaser.  It  had  likewise  occurred  to  him  to  repair 
and  remodel  the  old  homestead,  and  during  the 
autumn  months  a  landscape  gardener  of  celebrity 
had  visited  "  Seven  Oaks  "  and  set  an  army  of  men 
at  work  upheaving  everything. 

Notwithstanding  this  work  of  demolition,  Clay  had 


238  FACE    TO   FACE. 

preserved  a  wing  of  the  house  for  his  own  occupancy. 
He  did  not  like  to  feel  that  he  was  entirely  cut  off 
from  passing  a  night  under  his  ancestral  roof  if  the 
humor  seized  him  to  do  so.  Accordingly  he  had 
given  the  workmen  orders  to  delay  as  long  as  was 
possible  their  invasion  of  his  especial  quarters.  But 
up  to  the  time  of  his  confession  to  Mrs.  Pimlico  he 
had  not  made  use  of  them  since  the  early  autumn. 
Now,  although  the  snow  was  on  the  ground  and  it 
was  bitterly  cold,  he  managed,  with  the  help  of  the 
aged  gardener,  to  instal  himself  with  some  degree 
of  comfort,  so  far  as  concerned  his  physical  welfare. 
His  state  of  mind,  however,  was  restless  in  the  ex 
treme,  and  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  he  must  return  to 
New  York  by  the  next  train,  so  desolately  did  the 
first  twenty-four  hours  of  his  exile  pass.  He  sought 
relief  in  exercise,  taking  long  rides  in  the  saddle,  that 
he  might  fall  asleep  with  weariness  after  dinner. 
Every  morning  he  went  to  the  post-office  in  the 
hope  of  finding  a  letter. 

On  the  fourth  day  after  his  arrival,  as  he  was  wan 
dering  through  his  neighbor's  domain,  supposing  his 
neighbor  to  be  in  town,  he  was  surprised  to  see  signs 
of  life.  The  shutters  of  "  Highlands  "  had  been 
taken  down  and  the  windows  were  open,  many  of 
the  sills  being  ornamented  with  blankets,  that  sure 
sign  of  approaching  occupancy.  While  lie  was  on 
the  point  of  going  up  to  the  house  to  inquire  if 
Mr.  Brock  were  expected,  a  sleigh  came  tearing 
up  the  avenue,  from  which  that  gentleman  leaped 
out. 


FACE    TO   FACE.  239 

"  Holloa,  Clay,  what  the  dickens  are  you  doing 
here  at  this  season  of  the  year  ? " 

"  I  was  just  going  to  ask  you  the  same  ques 
tion." 

"Well,  you're  the  very  man  I  want.  I've  some 
people  coming  up  to  stay  with  me.  Friends  of  yours, 
too.  Mrs.  Willoughby  Pimlico  and  her  English 
cousin,  Miss  Marian  Bydoon,  Miss  Isabel  Slatterly 
and  half  a  dozen  others.  What  more  could  a  young 
fellow  wish  ?  Dine  with  me  to-morrow  at  seven. 
Or  for  the  matter  of  that  move  your  traps  over  to  my 
house  and  stay  altogether.  It  can't  be  very  com 
fortable  where  you  are,  with  the  bricks  and  mortar 
falling  about  your  ears.  Is  it  a  bargain  ?  " 

Clay  stared  stupidly  a  moment,  then  said  he 
would  be  glad  to  dine  with  him,  but  declined  the 
rest  of  the  invitation  on  the  plea  of  being  obliged 
constantly  to  give  directions  to  the  workmen.  He 
felt  puzzled  and  bewildered.  What  did  it  all  mean, 
he  wondered. 

At  this  moment  a  messenger  approached  and 
handed  Mr.  Brock  a  letter,  who  exclaimed,  after 
reading  it  : 

"  Here's  a  pretty  mess.  The  superintendent  of 
my  mill  writes  that  the  operatives  have  refused  to 
work  until  their  wages  are  raised." 

"  They  quit  work  tins  morning  at  the  Wisabet,  and 
the  Clyme  Valley  won't  be  running  at  noontime," 
said  the  messenger  excitedly. 

"  That's  the  first  I've  heard  of  it,"  said  Clay. 
"  But  I  haven't  had  a  chance  to  look  into  matters 


24O  FACE    TO   FACE. 

since  I  bought  my  stock.  I  have  left  everything  to 
the  manager." 

"  There's  been  some  grumbling  of  late,"  said  Mr. 
Brock.  "  There's  an  idea  in  the  town  that  our 
profits  have  been  enormous.  But  they'll  find  that 
striking  is  the  wrong  way  to  deal  with  me,"  he 
added.  "  I  don't  believe  in  knocking  under  to  such 
fellows.  It's  a  wrong  principle.  I  propose  to  back 
up  Storrs,  if  we  have  to  shut  the  mill  down  for  six 
months." 

"  I  shall  do  whatever  you  do,"  answered  Clay,  a 
little  helplessly.  "  I  know  nothing  of  the  merits 
of  the  case.  We  can  stand  out  longer  than  they 
can." 

"  Come,  jump  in,"  said  Mr.  Brock,  pointing  to  his 
sleigh.  "  We'll  go  down  and  see  what  the  trouble 
is.  I  suppose  they've  seized  the  opportunity  when 
you  and  I  were  here  to  make  a  fuss." 

They  found  the  malcontents  grouped  about  the 
town  and  at  the  entrance  to  the  factories  of  the 
Clyme  Valley  Manufacturing  Company,  the  em 
ployees  of  which  had  just  joined  the  strike.  There 
was  no  disorder,  but  a  low  murmur  arose  as  the 
sleigh  containing  the  two  capitalists  drew  up  before 
the  Wisabet  mill. 

A  lengthy  conference  followed.  Clay  found  both 
the  superintendents  to  be  shrewd,  vigorous  business 
men,  who  declared  that  there  was  no  ground  for  the 
disaffection,  and  urged  resistance  to  the  demands  of 
the  operatives.  A  deputation  of  the  strikers  was  in 
vited  to  present  their  grievances  Its  representa- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  241 

live,  a  handsome,  powerful-looking  man  with  dark 
eyes  and  hair,  was  the  ringleader,  Storrs  whispered, 
and  but  for  him  there  would  never  have  been  a 
strike. 

"The  fellow  has  a  mind  of  his  own.  He  speaks 
well,"  said  Mr.  Brock,  in  a  tone  of  admiration. 

•'  One  of  our  very  best  hands  until  he  got  this 
kink,"  continued  Storrs.  "  Quite  a  knack  as  an 
inventor,  too.  His  mother  lives  here  in  the  town 
with  him.  Her  name's  De  Vito.  He  calls  himself 
Andrew  De  Vito.  I  guess  his  father  was  an  Amer 
ican." 

Clay  looked  at  the  orator  more  closely.  It  was  a 
strong  face,  full  of  fire  and  intelligence,  but  disdain 
ful  and  embittered,  His  features  were  large  and 
prominent.  His  thick,  matted  hair  drooped  in  a  wave 
low  on  his  forehead.  His  manner  was  impassioned 
as  he  proceeded  in  his  harangue,  but  he  spoke  with 
force  and  logic,  and  evidently  had  well  thought  out 
his  theme.  He  alluded  with  bitterness  to  the  vast 
profits  of  the  two  corporations,  and  claimed  that  the 
working  men  were  entitled  to  participate  in  them. 
This  was  the  burden  of  his  argument,  though  he 
drew  a  graphic  picture  of  the  contrast  between  the 
condition  of  the  proprietors  and  of  the  employed. 
Ciay  listened  with  a  sense  of  realization  as  to  its 
truth.  How  often  he  had  himself  made  similar  re 
flections  !  But,  as  he  had  told  Mr.  Brock,  he  had 
left  to  his  superintendent  the  practical  management 
®f  his  mill,  and  he  felc  unfitted  to  face  this  emer 
gency.  To  accede  to  the  demands  of  the  strikers 
16 


242  FACE    TO   FACE. 

might  mean  financial  ruin  to  the  corporations 
and  he  well  knew  that  there  was  no  more  danger 
ous  foe  to  the  progress  of  civilization  than  unprac 
tical  philanthropy.  But  was  it  true,  as  the  super 
intendent  declared,  that  to  continue  the  course  they 
were  pursuing  was  the  only  alternative  between 
prosperity  and  disaster  ?  The  whole  great  question 
of  the  relations  between  labor  and  capital  rose  be 
fore  him,  as  it  frequently  was  wont  to  do,  but  seemed 
nearer  and  more  exacting.  At  least  the  obligation 
to  share  in  somewise  in  its  solution  presented  itself 
to  hinvwith  a  distinctness  that  resisted  his  inclina 
tion  to  brush  it  away  like  a  cobweb.  He  would  fain 
have  done  so,  for  in  truth  he  was  scarcely  in  the 
frame  of  mind  to  contemplate  such  a  matter.  Was 
not  his  heart  tremulous  as  to  the  result  of  the  court 
ship  of  her  whose  refusal  to  become  his  wife  would 
decide  the  question  of  his  future  happiness  ?  But 
as  he  sat  and  listened  he  was  conscious  that  if  all 
went  well  with  him  in  that  affair  he  would  perhaps 
be  brave  enough  to  free  himself  from  his  old  asso 
ciations  and  strike  out  in  this  direction. 

When  De  Vito  had  finished,  the  deputation  was 
dismissed  with  instructions  to  return  in  the  morn 
ing  for  an  answer  to  its  demands.  Although  Mr. 
Brock  had  been  fascinated  by  the  picturesqueness 
and  force  of  its  champion  lie  joined  the  two  super 
intendents  in  maintaining  that  the  idea  of  allowing 
the  men  an  interest  in  the  business  was  wildly 
Utopian,  and  not  to  be  considered  for  a  moment. 
They  held  that  the  only  question  to  be  decided  was 


FACE    TO   FACE.  243 

whether  it  would  be  for  the  present  and  future  ad 
vantage  of  the  property  to  raise  the  scale  of  wages 
slightly,  or  to  fight  the  matter  out,  shutting  down  the 
mills  for  the  time  being  in  case  the  Labor  Unions  of 
other  places  were  to  aid  and  abet  the  malcontents. 
It  was  argued  that  so  far  as  concerned  the  condition 
of  the  hands,  there  was  but  slender  cause  for  com 
plaint  apart  from  the  circumstances  in  which  they 
had  been  born.  They  were  poor,  and  comparatively 
ignorant,  and  must  expect  to  work  for  small  returns 
while  human  beings  of  greater  abilities  and  abun 
dant  means  lived  in  luxury.  But  much  had  been 
done  for  their  comfort  and  improvement.  There 
were  free  schools  for  their  children,  and  a  public 
library  which  Mr.  Brock  had  presented  to  the  town, 
and  other  facilities  in  the  line  of  hygiene  and  recre 
ation,  which  had  done  much  to  keep  them  cheerful 
and  contented.  Had  it  not  been  for  De  Vito  there 
would  never  have  been  trouble.  He  was  the  supe 
rior  in  talent  of  his  mates,  and  had  become  envious 
of  the  condition  of  the  wealthy,  feeling  that  he  was 
doomed  to  grovel  while  they  were  in  clover.  He 
had  made  a  great  mistake,  for  his  superiority  had 
been  appreciated.  He  had  been  advanced  several 
times  already  ;  and  if  only  he  had  been  content  to 
wait,  he  might  have  made  himself  of  the  greatest 
service  to  his  employers  and  risen  to  a  position  of 
independence,  and  possibly  of  wealth  ;  for  he  had 
marked  deftness  in  the  way  of  adapting  machinery 
and  devising  new  processes  for  the  shortening  of 
labor.  But  he  had  seen  fit  to  let  ill-will  get  the 


244  FACE    TO   FACE. 

better  of  his  common  sense,  and  had  conspired  with  a 
handful  of  lazy,  shiftless  fellows,  such  as  haunt  every 
manufacturing  town,  to  create  disorder.  Would 
it  be  wise  to  yield  in  any  degree  to  his  exactions  ? 
A  counter-offer  of  an  increase  in  wages,  while  ap 
peasing  him  perhaps  for  the  moment,  would  only  be 
to  put  off  the  evil  day.  He  had  theories,  and  was 
certain  to  advocate  them.  Was  not  the  best  way  to 
dismiss  him  and  stand  out  against  the  rest,  who 
without  a  leader  would  be  likely  presently  to  come 
to  terms  ? 

So  reasoned  the  business  men,  and  Clay,  who  re 
alized  his  helplessness  more  and  more,  said  nothing. 
He  was  prepared  to  do  whatever  the  others  advised. 
Mr.  Brock  sat  stroking  his  chin.  He  wished  to  be 
just,  but  he  was  not  a  character  to  be  bullied,  and 
he  felt  that  he  had  done  a  great  deal  for  the  opera 
tives  already.  He  accused  them  of  ingratitude. 
Business  was  business,  he  said,  and  one  could  not 
afford  to  run  factories  on  a  charitable  basis  merely. 
He  added  that  he  was  inclined  to  agree  with  his 
advisers,  but  would  send  word  before  morning,  as 
he  wished  to  think  the  matter  over  still  further,  and 
was  obliged  to  hurry  home  to  welcome  his  guests, 
who  were  nearly  due. 

Clay  presented  himself  at •"  Highlands  "  at  the 
stipulated  hour,  and  found  a  company  of  ten  merry 
over  the  prospect  of  abundant  winter  sports  on  the 
morrow.  He  had  no  opportunity  to  speak  apart 
with  Mrs.  Willoughby  before  dinner,  but  her  glance 
seemed  to  indicate  to  him  that  his  affair  had  taken 


FACE    TO  FACE.  24$ 

a  new  aspect.     Just  after  they  sat  down  to  table  the 
host  exclaimed  : 

"  Well,  ladies,  you  have  come  in  time  to  be  pres 
ent  at  a  strike." 

<;A  strike!     How  dreadful!"  cried  several  voices. 

"  Yes,  the  operatives  down  at  the  mills  have  struck 
for  higher  pay.  Mr.  Clay  and  I  have  been  spend 
ing  the  morning  in  listening  to  a  statement  of  their 
grievances,"  continued  Mr.  Brock. 

"  Are  they  violent  ?  "  asked  one  of  the  young  men. 

"  No,  but  they  have  ceased  work  in  a  body,  and 
if  we  decide  not  to  grant  their  demands — and  I  have 
pretty  well  made  up  my  mind  not  to  yield  a  point — 
we  may  have  to  stop  manufacturing  for  the  present. 
It's  a  bad  business,"  he  said,  shaking  his  head. 

Evelyn,  who  was  on  his  left,  looked  at  him  ear 
nestly.  A  few  months  ago  she  would  have  been 
likely  to  observe,  "  I  thought  you  never  had  strikes 
on  this  side  of  the  water."  But  she  no  longer  made 
remarks  of  that  sort. 

"  There  ought  to  be  laws  against  such  things," 
said  Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"  The  laws  are  made  by  the  working  men  now-a- 
days,"  observed  sententiously  the  young  man  who 
had  spoken  before. 

Mrs.  Willoughby  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  Heav 
en  knows  what  we  are  coming  to  in  this  country," 
she  said.  "  One  would  suppose,  now  that  everybody 
can  vote,  that  the  working  man  had  been  considered 
enough.  Positively,  when  I  read  in  the  newspapers 
the  doings  and  threats  of  the  Socialists  and  other 


246  FACE    TO   FACE. 

people  of  that  sort,  I  feel  as  if  our  throats  might  be 
cut  any  night  while  we  are  asleep,  merely  because 
we  happen  to  have  been  born  a  little  bit  better  off 
than  the  majority  of  mankind." 

There  was  a  general  shudder  and  murmur  of 
sympathy. 

"  I  never  read  the  newspapers,"  said  one  young  lady, 
decidedly.  "  I  hate  to  hear  about  disagreeable  things." 

"  All  the  strikes  in  the  world,  though,  needn't 
affect  us  up  here,"  broke  in  Mr.  Brock,  presently. 
"  The  coasting  and  skating  will  be  just  as  good — 
ha!  ha!" 

Clay  was  rather  silent  during  dinner.  His  seat 
was  not  near  either  Mrs.  Pimlico  or  Evelyn. 
Later  there  were  games,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
company  were  about  to  separate  for  the  night  that 
he  had  an  opportunity  to  converse  alone  with  his 
mentor.  The  weather  had  moderated,  and  some 
one  suggested,  as  it  was  clear  and  still,  that  it  would 
be  fun  to  take  a  peep  out-doors.  Accordingly,  wraps 
were  sent  for,  and  they  went  out  on  the  piazza. 
The  prospect  was  beautiful.  The  lawn  lay  spark 
ling  beneath  the  moon  like  a,  sea  of  crystal.  All 
was  quiet  in  the  town,  and  there  was  every  promise 
of  a  glorious  winter  day.  Plans  were  earnestly  dis 
cussed.  Some  were  eager  to  coast,  and  others  to 
skate,  while  Marian  Bydoon,  as  usual,  was  bent  on 
riding  across  country,  having  induced  one  of  her 
admirers  to  be  her  escort.  It  would  have  suited 
Clay  admirably  if  Evelyn  would  have  consented  to 
ride  also  ;  but  he  realized  that  the  sight  of  so  mucn 


«  FACE    TO   FACE.  247 

snoMr  was  a  novelty  to  her,  and  that  she  was  bent 
on  being  taken  down  the  steepest  hill  in  the  neigh 
borhood  on  a  double-runner,  which  Mr.  Brock  had 
already  christened  after  her. 

Mrs.  Willoughby  strolled  with  Clay  to  the  other 
end  of  the  piazza  from  that  where  the  others  were 
gathered. 

''Were  you  surprised  at  our  coming?"  she  in 
quired. 

"Completely.     Do  you  wish  me  to  run  away?* 

"  By  no  means,  nion  ami.     The  time  has  come.'1 

"  To  ask  her  ?" 

'•  I  think  so.     It  is  now  or  never." 

"What  do  you  mean?  Will  she  have  me  ?"  he 
inquired  eagerly. 

'  I  don't  know.     Ask  her." 

"  Why  have  you  changed  your  rnind  ?  " 

"  Don't  catechise  me."  Mrs.  Willoughby  was 
silent  a  moment.  ''You  mustn't  build  your  hopes 
too  high  ;  but  ask  her." 

"I  will  to-morrow,"  he  said  bluntly. 

They  were  called  back  at  this  moment  to  com 
plete  the  details  for  the  morning. 

Before  Clay  left  the  house  Mr.  Brock  took  him 
by  the  button  and  led  him  aside. 

"I  don't  believe  in  knocking  under  to  those  fel 
lows.  What  do  you  say  ? " 

"I  shall  adopt  whatever  course  you  think  best" 
Clay  answered. 

"  Very  well,  I'll  write  Storrs  to-night,  and  tell  him 
not  to  budge  an  inch." 


XII. 

NEXT  morning  it  was  agreed  to  defer  the  coast 
ing  party  until  after  luncheon.  Mr.  Brock  and 
Clay  were  obliged  to  go  to  the  mill  to  observe  the 
demeanor  of  the  strikers,  who  had  been  informed  of 
the  determination  of  the  proprietors  to  resist  their 
demands.  Accordingly  the  guests  each  followed 
his  or  her  own  bent.  Miss  Bydoon  started  off  ia 
the  saddle  with  her  escort.  There  were  two  or 
three  who  seemed  content  to  loll  over  the  roaring 
wood-fire  in  the  attractive  library.  The  larger  por 
tion  went  to  skate,  under  the  inspection  of  Mrs. 
Willoughby. 

With  this  last  detachment  Evelyn  allied  herself. 
She  had  never  seen  any  good  skating.  All  the 
others  were  experts  at  the  sport,  including  her 
cousin  Clara.  She  had  no  skates  of  her  own,  and 
after  the  enthusiasm  with  which  she  watched  from 
the  bank  the  graceful  curves  cut  by  her  friends  had 
been  a  little  chilled  by  the  atmosphere,  the  fancy 
seized  her  to  explore  the  surrounding  country. 

The  pond  was  fringed  about  by  a  thin  wood 
through  which  a  path  wound.  Following  this — 
the  same  by  which  they  had  come — until  she  drew 
within  sight  of  the  house,  Evelyn  pursued  it  again. 


FACE    TO   FACE.  24f 

parallel  to  the  highway,  for  a  considerable  distance. 
The  land  sloped  gradually  upward  until  the  road 
lay  some  sixty  feet  beneath.  The  trees  grew  more 
sparse  in  number  as  she  ascended.  They  had  been 
thinned  out  by  fires,  and  here  and  there  gaunt 
gnarled  pines  shot  up  into  the  air,  with  no  vestige 
of  branches  save  occasional  jagged  spurs.  But 
the  air  was  clear  and  invigorating,  and  there  was  no 
cloud  in  the  sky  to  mar  the  beauty  of  the  winter 
day.  The  path  was  distinctly  enough  defined,  and 
the  frost  had  hardened  the  snow  into  crusted  ice,  so 
that  the  walking  was  not  difficult. 

Evelyn  was  not  sorry  to  be  alone.  The  novelty 
®f  the  promised  out-door  sports  had  exhilarated  her 
and  caused  her  to  forget  momentarily,  in  her  capac 
ity  for  enjoyment,  the  step  she  was  about  to  take. 
But  it  was  uppermost  in  her  thoughts.  She  had 
seen  no  cause  to  change  her  mind,  and  was  bent  on 
fulfilling  the  plan  which  she  had  laid  before  her 
cousin.  Nothing  further  had  passed  between  them 
on  the  subject.  She  had  consented  to  this  truce, 
but  on  her  return  to  New  York  it  was  her  intention 
to  leave  the  Pimlicos'  house. 

She  was  conscious  of  being  about  to  give  up  a 
great  deal  that  she  would  gladly  have  retained,  and 
athwart  the  current  of  her  resolution  the  thought  of 
Ernest  Clay  rose  to  her  mind  with  a  frequency  not 
quite  intelligible  to  her.  Now  that  the  change  in 
her  circumstances  had  relaxed  the  tension  of  her 
triumphant  career,  she  realized  that  his  was  one  of 
the  few  figures  which  stood  out  distinctly  to  recall 


2 SO  FACE    TO   FACE. 

her  experiences.  Their  chance  meeting  on  ship, 
board  and  subsequent  relations  had  not  faded  away 
like  other  influences  that  for  the  moment  had 
seemed  almost  as  potent  to  arouse  her  interest. 
There  had  been,  indeed,  as  her  cousin  said,  some 
thing  romantic  in  her  first  encounter  with  Clay. 
Besides,  she  liked  him  on  the  whole.  There  was  no 
denying  that  she  found  his  society  agreeable.  And 
she  supposed  that  it  was  true  that  he  loved  her. 
Why  was  it  she  did  not  love  him  ?  That  was  all 
which  stood  in  the  way  of  her  satisfying  her  family 
and  continuing  to  occupy  the  position  she  now  held. 
Did  she  not  love  him  ?  Slowly  she  shook  her  head. 
Not  unless  dreams  were  a  delusion  and  poetry  a 
sham.  What  did  he  stand  for,  what  did  he  repre 
sent  ?  He  had  revealed  to  her  the  fascination  of 
the  doctrine  of  slothful  elegance,  against  which  even 
now  her  soul  was  battling.  And  yet  she  could  not 
wholly  drive  him  from  her  thoughts. 

She  reached  at  last  the  summit  of  the  slope  where 
the  ground  for  a  short  space  was  level  and  then  de 
clined  gradually  in  the  direction  of  the  town.  It 
occurred  to  her  to  vary  her  walk  by  a  glimpse  of  the 
settlement,  returning  home  by  the  road  instead  of 
retracing  her  steps.  As  she  descended,  the  wood 
grew  somewhat  thicker  a:id  there  was  a  profusion  of 
evergreen  and  underbrush  which  tended  to  shut  out 
the  sunlight.  A  curious  noise,  repeated  at  regular 
intervals,  struck  her  ear,  which  she  soon  correctly 
judged  to  proceed  from  the  blows  of  an  axe.  In 
another  moment  she  caught  sieht  of  a  man  in  the 


FACE    TO   FACE.  2$ I 

act  of  felling  a  tall  pine.  Then  followed  a  whirring 
sound,  and  the  tree  came  crashing  down  across  the 
path,  some  fifty  feet  in  front  of  her. 

Evelyn  stopped  short.  The  trunk  lay  directly  in 
her  way  and  opposed  a  formidable  barrier  to  further 
progress.  She  glanced  at  the  chopper,  a  tall,  impe 
rious-looking  fellow  with  dark  hair  falling  over  his 
forehead.  He  was  in  his  shirt  sleeves  and  had  flung 
his  cap  aside,  but  his  work  of  demolition  had  no  ap 
parent  purpose  unless  it  were  mere  wantonness,  for 
the  locality  was  not  convenient  for  one  in  search  of 
fire-wood.  He  stood  leaning  on  his  axe,  returning 
the  young  girl's  gaze  with  a  glance  of  morose  pride 
as  though  he  enjoyed  her  dp:omfiture.  His  impres 
sive  but  startling  appearance  prompted  her  to  turn 
to  go  back,  seeing  that  the  underbrush  rendered  a 
passage  other  than  by  the  path  extremely  difficult. 
She  was  arrested  by  his  voice. 

"Stop  a  minute,  lady." 

Evelyn  looked  around,  and  saw  him  step  toward 
the  prostrate  tree  and  ply  his  aXe  vigorously,  so  that 
the  chips  flew  high  and  wide.  Recognizing  his  de 
sign  to  clear  a  way  for  her  she  waited  tranquilly, 
watching  his  handsome,  almost  foreign  profile,  and 
wondering  who  he  might  be.  It  did  not  occur  to 
her  to  be  afraid. 

When  at  last  the  path  was  sufficiently  unobstructed 
to  permit  her  to  go  by,  the  man  looked  up  half 
sheepishly,  half  sullenly.  As  he  beheld  Evelyn's 
features,  where  the  bloom  of  youth  and  splendid 
beauty  were  heightened  by  the  glow  of  exercise,  he 


FACE    TO   FACE. 

seemed  spell-bound  for  an  instant.  Then  a  mali 
cious  sparkle  shone  from  his  eyes. 

Evelyn  did  not  heed  this.  She  was  wondering 
whether  she  ought  not  to  offer  to  remunerate  him. 
She  would  not  have  hesitated  to  do  so  had  she  been 
in  her  own  country,  but  she  suspected  that  Ameri 
can  labor  might  be  more  sensitive.  Nevertheless, 
as  he  stood,  without  moving,  directly  in  front  of  her, 
she  said  : 

"  Thank  you  kindly.  May  I  not  pay  you  for  your 
trouble  ?  " 

It  seemed  as  if  the  question  must  have  harmonized 
with  the  man's  thoughts,  for  again  his  eyes  gleamed 
and  he  answered, 

"Yes." 

Evelyn  started  to  put  her  hand  into  her  pocket 
for  her  purse. 

"  I  don't  want  any  of  your  money,"  he  continued. 

She  glanced  at  him  again,  and  an  instinctive  dread 
seized  her  for  the  first  time  ;  for  his  gaze  was  bent 
on  her  mockingly,  and  yet  with  an  evident  admira 
tion  against  which  he  seemed  to  be  struggling  as 
though  its  entertainment  might  interfere  with  what 
he  had  in  mind  to  say  or  do. 

"  I  want  a  kiss,"  he  exclaimed  boldly. 

Evelyn  shrank  back  thoroughly  alarmed.  For 
an  instant  she  was  possessed  with  the  idea  of  flight. 
Then  it  came  over  her  how  futile  that  would  be  if 
he  chose  to  pursue  her. 

"  A  kiss  ?  "  she  faltered. 

"Yes,  my  beauty,  that's  my  price." 


FACE    TO  RACE.  253 

They  stood  scanning  one  another  from  either  side 
of  the  fallen  tree.  Evelyn  realized  that  she  was  in 
his  power,  and  that  to  scream  might  provoke  him  to 
violence.  She  felt  in  looking  at  his  face  that  self- 
possession  was  her  only  hope. 

"You  are  one  of  the  dainty  dames  from  "High 
lands,  I  take  it  ;  "  he  said  bitterly  ;  "  one  of  the  rich 
folks  whom  Henry  Brock  has  invited  up  here  to 
teach  his  mill  hands  to  know  their  proper  places." 

"  I  am  one  of  Mr.  Brock's  guests,"  she  answered, 
scarcely  knowing  why.  "  And  you,  I  take  it,  are 
one  of  the  men  who  have  struck  for  higher  wages 
down  at  the  factory  ?  " 

He  stared  with  some  astonishment  at  her  cool 
ness.  "  Yes,  my  lady,  I'm  one  of  the  strikers,  at 
your  service  ;  I  bow  to  you,  my  lady.  You  belong 
to  the  quality.  But  before  you  leave  this  wood  I 
mean  to  have  a  kiss  from  those  red  lips  of  yours." 

She  could  feel  herself  trembling,  but  she  folded 
her  arms. 

"  Very  well,  you  may  kiss  me  if  you  wish  to,"  she 
answered. 

He  chuckled  softly,  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  her 
face.  "You  are  a  bold  one,"  he  said.  "  But  it's  no 
use.  Think  how  pleased  my  mates  will  be  to  hear 
of  my  luck.  It  doesn't  happen  every  day  that  a  fine 
lady  of  your  sort  is  so  generous  to  a  chap  like  me. 
You're  free  enough,  may  be,  with  your  subscription- 
lists,  and  your  broken  victuals,  and  your  patronizing 
airs,  but  when  it  comes  to  associating  with  us  and 
letting  us  imagine  that  we  are  anything  better  than 


254  FACE    TO   FACE. 

the  dirt  beneath  your  feet,  our  chance  is  mighty 
poor." 

He  spoke  with  an  intense  bitterness.  For  a  mo 
ment  there  was  silence  between  them.  He  seemed 
nervous  under  the  steady  gaze  of  his  victim,  and 
trifled  with  the  handle  of  his  axe,  on  which  he  still 
was  leaning. 

"  Why  don't  you  kiss  me  ?  "  said  Evelyn. 

She  could  perceive  in  his  countenance  the  strug 
gle  of  conflicting  passions. 

"And  what  if  I  should  ?"  he  said  shortly. 

"  I  should  think  you  a  coward,"  she  replied,  with 
courage. 

"Why  should  I  care  what  you  think  ?"  he  said. 

She  trembled  again,  and  their  eyes  met. 

"You  will  let  me  pass  ?"  she  asked,  with  a  touch 
of  plaintiveness. 

He  hesitated.  He  made  a  step  forward  as  though 
to  execute  his  threat,  then  paused. 

"  Curse  you  ! "  he  said,  in  a  tone  of  baffled  anger, 
and  he  stood  aside.  "  Pass,  then." 

Evelyn  did  so.  Insolent  as  were  the  man's  words 
there  was  a  ring  of  despair  in  his  voice  that  bade 
her  pause.  She  turned  and  looked  at  him,  and  an 
impulse  seized  her. 

"I  arn  perfectly  willing  that  you  should  kiss  me 
now,"  she  said. 

A  bewildered  expression  replaced  the  fellow's 
frown,  and  a  flush  rose  to  his  cheek. 

Just  then  some  rays  of  sunlight  piercing  through 
the  shade  caused  perhaps  the  gems  in  one  of  he* 


FACE    TO   FACE. 

rings  to  sparkle,  for  with  a  sudden  movement  he 
grasped  her  hand,  and  falling  on  one  knee  kissed  it 
eagerly.  Then  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  plunged 
into  the  thicket. 

When  Evelyn  found  herself  alone  and  that  all 
danger  was  past,  her  fortitude  so  far  relaxed  thai 
she  ran  at  full  speed  along  the  path,  which  sloped 
toward  the  town,  impatient  to  gain  the  main  road. 
But  almost  immediately  she  came  upon  Mr.  Brock 
and  Ernest  Clay,  who  had  chosen  this  way  of  return 
ing  home,  and  into  whose  arms  she  all  but  precip 
itated  herself. 

Her  flushed  cheeks  and  excited  manner  betrayed 
that  something  unusual  had  taken  place.  In  response 
to  their  inquiries  she  told  them  the  truth.  Half 
laughing,  half  crying  she  described  the  close  of  her 
encounter.  The  gentlemen  listened  with  breath 
less  interest  and  concern. 

"  Bravo  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Brock,  as  she  finished  ; 
"the  rascal  had  a  touch  of  gallantry  about  him  after 
all.  I'll  bet  my  life — "  he  stopped  short — "you  say 
he  was  tall  and  foreign-looking  ?  " 

"Yes,"  answered  Evelyn,  "and  had  wavy  black 
hair  that  hung  down  over  his  forehead." 

"  De  Vito,"  cried  the  men  together. 

"  We'll  have  him  in  jail  before  night,"  said  Mr. 
Brock.  "  It's  bad  enough  to  set  the  village  by  the 
ears,  without  insulting  defenceless  women.  Clay," 
he  added,  looking  at  his  watch,  "you  keep  on  with 
Miss  Pimlico,  and  I'll  go  back  to  town  and  put  a 
couple  of  officers  on  his  track." 


2  56  FA  CE    TO  FA  CE. 

"  A  good  thrashing  would  be  the  best  punishmeni 
for  the  fellow,"  answered  Ernest.  "  He  must  be  in 
the  wood  somewhere  near  here.  I'd  like  to  try  my 
hand  on  him,"  he  said,  with  a  burst  of  indignation. 
"  Hallo-o-a,"  he  cried  aloud. 

"  Pshaw  !  He'll  take  precious  good  care  to  keep 
out  of  the  way,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Brock. 

"  I'd  much  rather  you  didn't  do  anything,"  said 
Evelyn,  turning  to  the  young  man.  "  I  don't  think 
he  meant  to  harm  me.  He  looked  miserable  and 
unhappy.  Probably  he  felt  sore  about  the  strike, 
and  thought  he  would  frighten  me  for  revenge." 

"  The  brute  !  "  interjected  Mr.  Brock.  "  He'll 
find  that  sort  of  business  will  not  benefit  his  cause. 
But  how  was  it,  Miss  Pimlico,  you  offered  to  let  him 
kiss  you  after  he  had  allowed  you  to  pass  ? "  he 
asked. 

"  I  don't  know  exactly,"  she  said  softly.  "  He  had 
said  something  a  few  moments  before  as  to  there 
being  such  a  gulf  between  people  like  us  and  him. 
I  suppose  I  pitied  him.  If  he  felt  he  would  rather 
have  a  kiss  than  a  dollar,  it  wasn't  so  very  much  to 
give  after  all." 

"And  the  gulf  would  be  narrowed  between 
you,  eh  ? " 

"  Perhaps  so,  Mr.  Brock." 

He  glanced  curiously  and  kindly  at  her.  "You 
are  a  brave  girl.  I  fancy,"  he  added  after  a  mo 
ment,  "  that  you  young  folks  who  are  growing  up 
have  work  cut  out  for  you  in  that  direction.  There's 
trouble  ahead,  for  neither  side  is  altogether  right 


FACE    TO  FACE.  2$? 

But  it  isn't  likely  to  come  in  my  time.  I'm  an  old 
man  and  must  stick  to  the  old  methods." 

Clay  and  Evelyn  instinctively  looked  at  one 
another.  The  lover's  gaze  was  so  ardent  and  so  full 
of  admiration  that  she  let  fall  her  eyes  in  some  con 
fusion.  She  had  felt  grateful  to  him  for  his  evident 
eagerness  to  administer  punishment  to  her  adversary, 
and  in  view  of  their  former  discussion  Mr.  Brock's 
words  seemed  to  her  to  have  a  strange  pertinency. 

During  their  conversation  they  had  been  walk 
ing  along,  and  they  now  came  to  the  scene  of  the 
adventure.  The  two  gentlemen  beat  the  bushes  on 
either  side  of  the  path,  but  failed  to  discover  any 
signs  of  the  presence  of  the  marauder.  The  tree 
which  he  had  cut  down  was  one  of  the  finest  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  apparently  he  had  felled  it  out 
of  spite,  or  as  a  vent  for  his  pent-up  feelings. 

The  account  of  Evelyn's  experience  naturally 
caused  a  commotion  at  the  luncheon-table.  The 
ladies  shivered  in  their  shoes,  and  there  was  a  gen 
eral  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  masculine  portion 
of  the  company  to  organize  a  pursuit,  with  the  idea 
of  taking  the  law  into  their  own  hands.  But  on 
Mr.  Brock's  representation  that  Evelyn  was  op 
posed  to  anything  of  the  sort,  the  excitement  took 
the  form  of  catechism.  Evelyn  was  asked  every 
variety  of  question,  both  regarding  her  own  feelings 
and  the  appearance  and  demeanor  of  her  assailant. 
The  fact  that  she  had  neither  screamed  nor  fainted 
seemed  incredible  to  several,  and  after  the  first  in 
tensity  of  the  horror  subsided  every  one  agreed  that 


2$8  FACE    TO   FACE. 

her  acquiescence  in  De  Vito's — for  from  the  descrip 
tion  there  was  no  longer  a  doubt  that  the  marauder 
had  been  he — demand  had  saved  her  from  all  sorts 
of  horrors.  No  one  of  her  own  sex,  however,  could 
understand  her  having  had  the  courage  or  felt  the 
impulse  to  proffer  De  Vito  a  kiss  after  he  permitted 
her  to  pass,  despite  the  romantic  conclusion  of  the 
episode.  They  argued  that  her  natural  inclination 
must  surely  have  been  to  run  at  the  top  of  her 
speed  the  moment  she  was  safe  from  the  miscreant's 
clutches.  Of  course  the  sequel  had  been  almost 
pathetic.  She  had  made,  unwittingly,  a  conquest, 
which,  manifested  by  the  poor  wretch's  clumsy 
obeisance,  might  be,  for  all  anyone  could  tell,  an 
awakening  influence  that  would  result  in  regenera 
tion. 

"  The  scoundrel  ought  to  feel  flattered  during  the 
rest  of  his  life,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Brock.  "  To  obtain 
permission  to  kiss  those  lovely  lips  is  the  ambition 
of  many  a  young  fellow  who  is  wearing  his  heart  out 
in  sighing,  I'll  be  bound."  He  smiled  at  Evelyn 
over  the  wine-glass,  which  he  raised  to  his  lips  in 
her  honor. 

As  is  often  the  case  where  the  news  of  a  horrifying 
incident  has  momentarily  checked  the  current  of 
gayety,  and  it  has  been  duly  demonstrated  that  the 
victim  has  escaped  injury  after  all,  the  spirits  of  the 
company  soon  rose.  Everyone  was  in  the  mood 
to  try  the  new  coast,  and  the  double-runner,  "  Miss 
Pimlico,"  seemed  named  most  appropriately.  The 
tidings  from  the  town  were  not  disturbing.  The  op- 


FACE    TO  FACE. 

eratives  had  received  their  rebuff  without  noisy  dem 
onstrations,  and  though  refusing  to  return  to  work 
had  showed  no  tendency  to  resist  the  action  of  the 
corporations  by  other  than  lawful  means.  Mr. 
Brock's  wrath  against  De  Vito,  already  mollified  by 
Evelyn's  desire  that  no  notice  should  be  taken  of 
her  assailant's  conduct,  evaporated  rapidly  under  the 
influence  of  the  invigorating  sport.  The  whole 
party  returned  to  the  house  at  dinner-time  in  a  most 
merry  frame  of  mind.  The  host  gave  orders  to  have 
the  choicest  wine  in  his  cellar  unbottled  without 
stint.  The  huge  wood-fires  roared  up  the  chimneys 
as  though  in  sympathy  with  the  general  light-heart- 
edness.  The  conversation  flowed  vivaciously,  and 
Evelyn's  health  was  drunk  amid  loud  acclamations 
in  testimony  to  her  fearlessness. 

After  the  dessert  was  served  Mr.  Brock  got  up 
from  his  seat,  and  going  to  a  safe  fitted  into  the  side 
board,  where  he  kept  his  valuables,  produced  a  russia- 
leather  case,  which  proved  to  contain  a  magnificent 
necklace  of  pearls.  He  approached  Evelyn  and 
fastened  it  about  her  neck. 

"This  belonged  to  my  niece;  her  I  told  you 
about,"  he  said.  "  I  should  like  you  to  have 
it." 

A  murmur  of  mingled  applause  and  envious  ex 
clamation — for  the  gift  was  of  exceptional  value — 
ran  round  the  table.  Evelyn,  too  surprised  and 
moved  to  speak,  put  out  her  hand  to  her  donor,  nrho 
took  it  in  both  of  his  own,  and,  dropping  on  one 
knee,  touched  his  lips  to  it. 


26O  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"  It  is  my  price,"  he  said,  with  a  merry  laugh  that 
-was  echoed  on  all  sides. 

Evelyn  smiled  sweetly,  but  as  she  raised  her  eyes 
she  gave  a  start  and  pointed  toward  the  window 
which  she  was  facing. 

"  Look  !  "  she  cried. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  exclaimed  half  a  dozen  voices. 

"  It  was  he — the  same  one,"  she  ejaculated. 

Two  or  three  of  the  young  men,  with  a  quick  ap 
preciation  of  her  meaning,  rushed  into  the  hall  and 
out  of  doors,  while  others  threw  up  the  window.  But 
no  one  was  visible.  Not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard. 
The  pursuers  plunged  in  among  the  fir-trees,  which 
at  this  point  were  only  a  few  rods  distant  from  the 
house,  but  failed  to  find  traces  of  anybody.  Mr. 
Brock  gave  orders  that  lanterns  should  be  brought 
and  the  dogs  in  the  stable  let  loose. 

Meanwhile,  in  response  to  numerous  questions, 
Evelyn  declared  that  she  was  certain  she  had  seen 
the  face  of  Andrew  De  Vito  pressed  against  the  win 
dow-pane,  and  that  his  eyes  were  fixed  upon  her. 
His  look  was  wild  and  strange  she  said,  and  the  mo 
ment  after  she  perceived  him  he  had  vanished. 

The  ladies  shivered  again,  and  someone  suggested 
that  he  had  probably  caught  sight  of  the  necklace 
of  pearls. 

"We  might  have  been  murdered  in  our  beds," 
murmured  Mrs.  Willoughby. 

Mr.  Brock  was  in  a  state  of  the  utmost  indignation. 
He  and  the  young  men,  with  the  aid  of  lights  and 
the  dogs,  ransacked  the  grounds  for  nearly  an  hour, 


FACE    TO  FACE.  26 1 

but  to  no  avail.  Then  he  ordered  a  vehicle,  and 
driving  down  to  the  police  station  in  the  town,  had 
a  warrant  issued  against  De  Vito.  On  his  return, 
he  found  his  guests  seated  about  the  fire  in  a  more 
or  less  tremulous  condition.  Some  youth  had  taken 
advantage  of  the  scare  to  tell  a  series  of  ghastly 
ghost  stories,  which  had  begotten  a  variety  of  specu 
lations  and  anecdotes  as  to  the  credibility  of  so- 
called  supernatural  incidents. 

The  reappearance  of  the  host  was  a  relief,  and 
gave  a  greater  sense  of  security.  Indeed,  Mrs.  Wil- 
loughby  presently  suggested  that  it  was  possible  that 
Evelyn  had  been  misled  by  an  hallucination.  The 
idea  was  eagerly  welcomed,  and  the  terrible  strain 
she  had  undergone  that  morning  adduced  in  sup 
port  of  it.  But  Evelyn  shook  her  head.  She  felt 
certain  that  she  had  not  been  deceived. 


XIII. 

CLAY  lay  awake  long  that  night.  When  he  arose 
the  sun  was  streaming  into  his  room.  He 
found  that  he  had  overslept  himself.  On  the  break 
fast-table  was  a  letter  from  the  manager  of  his  mill, 
which  informed  him  that  De  Vito  could  not  be  found, 
but  that  he  was  reported  to  have  been  seen  getting 
on  the  early  morning  train  from  Clyme  Valley,  a 
short  distance  from  the  town.  All  was  quiet  at  the 
factories,  and  there  was  every  reason  to  hope  that  the 
strikers  would  soon  give  in,  especially  if  it  should 
prove  true  that  their  leader  had  deserted  them. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock  before  Clay  went  over  to 
Highlands.  He  feared  that  everyone  had  gone  out, 
but  to  his  surprise  and  delight  he  discovered  Evelyn 
alone  in  the  library,  for  which  he  shrewdly  suspected 
that  he  was  indebted  to  Mrs.  Willoughby's  clever 
management.  At  all  events,  the  rest  of  the  company 
had  scattered  in  pursuit  of  amusement. 

"  And  how  are  you  feeling  this  morning  ?  "  he  in 
quired,  taking  a  seat  beside  her. 

"  I  am  none  the  worse  for  my  fright,  I  think," 
she  answered. 

"  The  fellow  seems   to   have  got   off,"  said  Clay 


FACE    TO  FACE.  263 

"  At  least  he  is  said  to  have  been  seen  boarding  the 
train  just  after  daylight." 

"  I  hope  he  won't  be  caught,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  I  don't  care  what  becomes  of  him,  provided  he 
leaves  Clyme  Valley.  He  is  a  dangerous  character. 
What  right  had  he  to  be  mousing  round  the  house 
after  dark  ? " 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  see  what  he  wanted,  I  admit." 

"  He  wanted  to  steal." 

Evelyn  shook  her  head.  "  I  can't  believe  that, 
Mr.  Clay.  There  was  too  much  that  was  fine  and 
manly  in  his  expression,  in  spite  of  his  impertinent 
behavior." 

"  It  was  a  mercy  he  did  not  kill  you.  Put  an  axe 
into  the  hands  of  one  of  those  devils,  and  there  is 
no  telling  what  he  will  take  it  into  his  head  to  do. 
I  saw  the  fellow  at  the  factory,  as  I  told  you  yester 
day.  He  is  handsome  and  striking-looking,  but  I 
shouldn't  care  to  meet  him  face  to  face  in  a  dark 
wood,"  answered  Clay. 

"  He  looked  wretchedly  unhappy,"  said  Evelyn. 

"  It's  his  own  fault,  if  he  is  unhappy.  He  has 
been  considered  in  every  way.  If  he  hadn't  been 
restless  and  insubordinate,  he  would  have  held  a 
first-rate  position  long  before  this." 

"  I  know  Mr.  Brock  told  me  the  same  thing,"  an 
swered  Evelyn.  "  Of  course,  I  don't  pretend  to  be 
any  judge  of  such  characters.  But  I  pitied  him. 
It  seemed  to  me,  in  thinking  of  his  lace  afterward, 
as  though  he  must  have  been  kept  down  and 
crushed." 


264  FACE   TO  FACE. 

"  He  has  to  work  for  his  living  like  every  other 
laboring  man,"  answered  Clay.  "  As  to  being 
crushed,  Mr.  Brock  has  done  his  best  to  make  the 
operatives  in  the  town  comfortable  and  happy." 

"Mr.  Brock  is  as  kind  as  can  be  to  everyone," 
said  Evelyn.  "  Tell  me  what  he  has  done." 

"  He  has  endowed  them  with  a  public  library  for 
one  thing,  containing  several  thousand  volumes, 
and  on  each  Saturday  evening,  during  the  winter, 
some  lecturer,  magician,  or  concert-troupe  is  en 
gaged  by  him  to  provide  them  with  a  free  enter 
tainment." 

Evelyn  was  silent  a  moment.  "  Their  pay  is  very 
small,  I  suppose,"  said  she. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  is." 

"  And  the  profits  of  the  mills  have  been  enor 
mous,  haven't  they  ? " 

"  The  companies  are  doing  very  well." 

"  It  must  be  terribly  hard,"  continued  Evelyn,  "  ta 
work  day  in  and  day  out  for  a  mere  pittance,  and 
to  see  others  grow  rich  on  the  fruit  of  one's  labor. 
Just  think  of  the  difference  between  the  lives  of 
people  of  that  sort  and  yours  and  mine.  As  I  said 
to  you  yesterday,  there  was  something  in  that 
wretched  creature's  look  which  made  me  feel  that 
his  insolence  sprang  from  despair.  It  was  the  im 
pulse  to  let  him  realize  that,  despite  the  disparity  of 
our  circumstances,  I  recognized  his  brotherhood  as 
a  human  being,  which  prompted  me,  against  all  the 
other  instincts  of  my  nature,  to  offer  to  permit  him 
to  kiss  me," 


FACE   TO  FACE.  26$ 

"  Men  cannot  be  equal,  even  in  the  United  States, 
Miss  Pimlico,  however  much  we  may  theorize  on 
the  subject,"  said  Clay.  "  One  man  is  born  rich  and 
another  poor,  just  as  one  is  born  strong  and  another 
crippled,  or  one  able  and  another  shiftless.  There 
must  always  be  poor  and  rich." 

"  But  need  the  difference  be  so  great  ? "  she  asked 
with  earnestness. 

"I  do  not  know,"  he  answered  bluntly.  "And 
yet  I  am  a  mill-owner." 

Evelyn  flushed  a  little.  "  I  don't,  of  course,  un 
derstand  such  matters,"  she  said.  "  It  is  imperti 
nent  perhaps  of  me  to  speak  about  them." 

Clay  had  risen  and  was  pacing  the  room.  "  You 
need  not  apologize  on  my  account,"  he  said  "  It 
is  to  my  shame  and  discredit  that  I  cannot  answer 
your  question.  I  draw  my  dividends,  too,  regularly 
enough,  and  have  plenty  of  leisure  time." 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Evelyn  reflectively,  after  a 
pause,  "  that  if  I  were  one  of  the  working  masses  I 
should  very  likely  be  a  striker  too.  Think  what  a 
bitter  sight  the  luxury  and  extravagance  of  the  rich 
must  be  to  a  man  with  barely  means  enough  to  save 
his  children  from  hunger.  How  our  splendid  houses 
and  brilliant  equipages  and  beautiful  dresses  must 
confuse  his  sense  of  justice  !  We  spend  a  thousand 
dollars  in  giving  a  ball,  and  may  be  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  where  it  is  held  a  dozen  families,  shivering 
from  cold,  are  huddled  in  some  fetid  tenement.  And 
yet  we  go  to  church  and  kneel  on-  soft  cushions  to 
pray  for  the  needy  and  suffering.  What  right  has 


266  FACE   TO  FACE. 

one-half  of  the  world  to  be  so  wasteful  when  the 
other  half  is  starving  ?  " 

"  Their  ignorance  is  our  salvation,"  said  Clay  sen- 
tentiously.  "  Like  the  brute  beasts,  the  masses  are 
ignorant  of  their  own  strength." 

"  That  man,  De  Vito,  said  we  were  free  enough 
with  our  subscription  lists  and  broken  victuals," 
Evelyn  continued.  "I  saw  what  he  meant.  We  give 
money  liberally.  We  subscribe  large  sums  to  hos 
pitals  and  other  charitable  institutions.  But  the 
gulf  still  remains.  On  the  one  hand  is  the  courtly, 
luxurious  millionaire,  with  his  palace  of  a  home,  on 
the  other  the  ignorant,  rough  laborer,  with  his  quar 
tern  loaf.  There  must  be  some  way  of  lessening 
this  discrepancy." 

"You  would  make  a  capital  socialist,"  Clay  said 
admiringly.  Her  eyes  were  bright  with  an  intens 
ity  which  recalled  to  him  their  first  meeting  on 
ship. 

"  No,"  she  answered,  "  I  am  no  better  than  the 
rest.  I  live  on  from  day  to  day  without  thinking  of 
such  matters.  It  is  only  because  the  truth  was 
forced  upon  me  yesterday  that  I  have  said  so  much. 
How  terrible  one  realizes  one's  helplessness  to  bring 
about  a  change  !  What  a  tremendous  power  money 
is  !  "  she  added.  "  It  was  you  who  first  pointed  that 
out  to  me,  I  remember,  Mr.  Clay.  I  didn't  under 
stand  you  then  as  I  do  now.  I  can  see  that  it  is  the 
great  force  of  the  world.  The  possession  of  it  in 
sures  comfort  and  leisure  and  refinement.  The  lack 
of  it  makes  men  miserable  and  ignorant  and  brutish. 


FACE    TO  FACE.]  ** J 

No  wonder  we  all  strive  so  hard  to  accuommve  it. 
But  God  help  those  who  are  without  it." 

"  There  is  no  other  power  but  one  in  th^  world  to 
be  compared  with  it,"  said  Clay  in  a  low  voice.  He 
had  seated  himself  again  beside  her. 

"And  that?"  asked  Evelyn,  earnestly. 

"  And  that  is  love,"  he  said. 

She  looked  up  quickly,  then  let  falk  her  eyes,  fa* 
he  was  gazing  at  her  with  ardor.  Hor  own  affairs 
had  been  out  of  her  thoughts,  but  now  she  under 
stood  that  the  moment  was  at  hand  which  was  to 
affect  momentously  her  future. 

"  Love  is  the  only  medium  which  makes  a  man 
forget  himself,"  Clay  continued,  "  and  which  teaches 
him  his  own  littleness.  You  told  me  once,  I  re 
member,  that  we  on  this  side  of  the  ocean  are  dif 
ferent  from  what  you  expected  to  find  us.  You  said 
that  we  seemed  too  much  like  people  everywhere. 
You  were  right.  We  are  in  danger  of  imitating 
others.  That  is  our  chief  peril  to-day.  And  by  '  our' 
I  mean  the  class  to  which  I  belong,  the  rich,  so- 
called  leisure  class.  Our  forefathers  did  their  work 
and  we  are  haggling  over  ours,  erecting  flimsy  bar 
riers  of  doubt  and  speculation  between  us  and  duty. 
But  you,  Miss  Pimlico,  by  your  nobility  of  soul, 
which  is  reflected  in  every  line  of  your  beautiful 
face,  have  inspired  one  man,  at  least,  with  a  sense  of 
his  responsibility.  It  is  you  who  are  the  American. 
The  seed  sown  by  my  ancestors  has  been  blown 
across  the  ocean  and  has  taken  root  on  foreign  soil ; 
and  now  you  appear  as  its  representative  to  teach 


268  FACE    TO  FACE. 

me  what  I  ought  to  be.  I  have  come  this  morning 
to  ask  you  to  be  my  wife.  Dearest  Evelyn,"  he  ex 
claimed,  bending  toward  her,  "say  that  you  wili 
make  me  happy  forever.  Say  that  you  will  teach 
me  to  share  your  enthusiasm.  What  might  we  not 
accomplish  together  ?  I  am  rich,  as  you  know. 
Help  me  to  use  my  money  wisely.  I  am  not  equal 
to  the  responsibility  alone." 

Evelyn  sat  listening  to  his  recital  with  bowed 
head  and  her  hands  clasped  on  her  lap. 

"When  I  have  heard  other  men  talk  and  rave 
about  love,"  he  went  on,  "  I  have  laughed  to  myself 
and  almost  doubted  if  there  were  such  a  passion 
as  I  had  dreamed  of,  so  hopeless  had  I  become  of  its 
being  revealed  to  me.  But  after  I  learned  to  know 
you,  I  understood  the  reason  for  my  want  of  sus 
ceptibility.  I  had  formed  an  ideal.  Most  men  do, 
and  satisfy  themselves  with  less.  But  I  have 
waited — thank  Heaven,  I  have  waited.  You  are  the 
only  woman  I  have  ever  seen  who  fulfils  my  ideal 
of  what  a  woman  ought  to  be.  Unworthy  as  I  am 
of  your  love,  I  cannot  live  without  it.  Dearest,  tell 
me  that  I  need  not  ask  in  vain." 

He  sought  to  take  her  hand,  but  Evelyn,  who  had 
been  in  a  daze,  as  it  were,  drew  it  away  and  mur 
mured,  while  the  tears  filled  her  eyes  in  response  to 
his  impetuous  words: 

"No,  Mr.  Clay,  it  cannot  be.  I  am  not  what  you 
believe.  I  am  not,  indeed.  You  have  deceived 
yourself." 

''  Am  not  what  I  believe  ?     You  are  everything 


FACE    TO  FACE.  269 

that  is  pure  and  true  and  inspiring.  Do  I  not  know 
that  your  life  is  wholly  earnest,  that  your  soul  is 
filled  with  a  high  purpose  which  makes  a  mockery 
of  the  paltry  trivial  interests  which  absorb  mine  ?" 

"  You  must  not  talk  like  that,"  she  cried.  "  Would 
to  heaven  that  one-half  what  you  say  of  me  were 
true.  But  you  are  mistaken,  Mr.  Clay.  I  am  not 
fitted  to  teach  or  help  anyone." 

"  Let  me  be  the  judge  of  that,"  he  exclaimed,  pas 
sionately.  "  You  have  taught  and  helped  me  already. 
Since  I  met  you  first  I  have  been  a  changed  being. 
Your  influence  has  been  an  inspiration  to  me." 

"  It  is  not  right  of  me  to  allow  you  to  go  on,"  she 
said  with  decision,  lifting  her  eyes  to  his,  "  for  I  can 
not  consent  to  become  your  wife.  I  have  been 
taught  to  believe  that  a  woman  should  love  with  her 
whole  heart  the  man  she  consents  to  marry.  I  like 
you,  Mr.  Clay — I  have  learned  to  respect  you  ; — but 
you  must  not  ask  me  to  be  more  than  your  friend." 

"  I  shall  die,  then,"  he  exclaimed,  with  an  out 
burst  of  despair.  "  You  do  not  realize  what  I  mean 
when  I  say  that  I  love  you.  This  is  no  boyish  in 
fatuation  of  mine.  Do  you  not  see,  do  you  not  un 
derstand,  that  my  whole  future  is  dependent  on  your 
answer  ?  Before  I  knew  you,  I  was  cold  and  cyni 
cal  and  doubting.  Without  you  I  shall  be  un 
happy  forever." 

Evelyn  felt  herself  trembling  at  his  intensity.  She 
knew  that  she  had  made  up  her  mind,  but  yet  she 
was  conscious  that  these  burning  words  were  sweet 
to  her  to  hear.  She  had  listened  to  other  avowals 


2fO  FACE    TO  FACE. 

of  love  almost  with  unconcern.  But  she  was  very 
sorry  for  Mr.  Clay,  and  her  sense  of  pride  was  eve» 
stronger  than  her  pity.  She  wondered  if  it  were 
wrong  to  feel  so  elated  when  she  was  resolved  to  dis 
miss  him. 

"  Let  us  look  at  this  matter  sensibly  and  calmly, 
Mr.  Clay,"  she  said,  gently.  "  Surely  you  would 
not  wish  me  to  marry  you  unless  I  loved  you.  A 
love  such  as  yours  would  not  be  content  with  mere 
respect  and  esteem." 

"Calmly?"  he  exclaimed.  "I  have  looked  at 
things  calmly  all  my  life.  I  have  starved  from  lack 
of  enthusiasm.  Sensibly  ?  I  am  looking  at  the 
matter  sensibly,  for,  without  you,  life  will  be  worth 
nothing  to  me.  I  have  waited  for  years  to  meet 
you,  and  now  that  I  have  found  you,  you  ask  me  t» 
be  calm  and  sensible." 

Evelyn  was  silent  a  moment. 

"  Mr.  Clay,"  she  said,  "  if  I  were  to  accept  your 
offer,  it  would  be  simply  because  of  your  money." 

He  flushed  slightly. 

"  Very  well,"  he  cried,  "  marry  me  for  my  money. 
Anything  would  be  better  than  losing  you  alto 
gether." 

"  Because  I  want  you  to  disabuse  yourself  of  the 
extravagant  conception  you  have  formed  of  my 
character,"  she  continued,  "  I  will  tell  you  that  I  ana. 
tempted  by  your  proposal.  You  have  spoken  of  my 
nobility  of  soul  and  lofty  purpose  :  these  are  scarcely 
consistent  with  the  thoughts  that  have  been  passing 
through  my  mind  during  the  last  fifteen  minute*. 


FACE    TO   FACE.  2f  I 

Six  months  ago  I  was,  it  may  be,  innocent  and  un 
sophisticated  and  enthusiastic.  Since  then  I  hare 
learned  many  things,  and  chief  among  them,  as  I 
have  already  said  to  you,  is  an  appreciation  of  the 
power  of  wealth.  I  know  what  it  means  to  be  rich, 
and  how  eagerly  everyone  strives  to  become  rich. 
I  know  the  delights  of  luxury  and  that  the  posses 
sion  of  plenty  of  money  affords  leisure  for  culture 
and  refinement.  If  I  were  to  marry  you  it  would 
be  in  order  to  be  able  to  enjoy  all  the  gratifications 
which  wealth  affords.  I  should  be  marrying  not 
you,  but  your  money.  You  have  to  congratulate 
yourself  that  I  am  still  sufficiently  courageous  to 
refrain  from  doing  you  such  a  wrong  as  you  would 
have  me  commit." 

"  It  was  through  you,"  said  Clay,  "  that  I  have 
learned  to  wish  to  use  my  wealth  worthily.  If  yow 
were  my  wife,  think  what  we  might  accomplish  to 
gether." 

Evelyn  shook  her  head.  "  Ah,  yes,  if  I  loved  you, 
Mr.  Clay.  It  might  be  very  different  then.  As  you 
said  just  now,  love  is  the  only  power  that  can  com 
pete  with  money.  It  was  also  you  who  told  me 
once  that  the  progress  of  humanity  must  depend 
largely  on  the  efforts  of  people  free  from  the  stress 
of  money-getting.  But  I  can  appreciate  now  how 
difficult  it  is  for  the  rich  to  make  those  efforts. 
Wealth  soothes  and  deadens  and  lulls  to  sleep." 

"  Yes,  but  it  should  not  lull  us  to  sleep,  Evelyn. 
Side  by  side  we  should  be  able  to  throw  off.  sloth 
forerer." 


272  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"  I  can  readily  understand,"  answered  Evelyn, 
"  that  to  you,  feeling  as  you  do,  it  might  seem  easy 
and  simple  to  brave  the  world  and  escape  from  the 
common  rut,  and  were  I  able  to  return  your  affec 
tion  I  believe  that  love  would  give  me  strength  to 
do  the  same.  But  if  without  loving  you  I  should 
become  your  wife,  I  feel  that  I  could  not  count 
upon  myself.  You  said  just  now  that  you  have 
waited  for  love.  Perhaps  I  also  am  waiting  in  the 
hope  that  it  may  some  day  be  kindled  in  my  heart. 
For  without  it  I  am  sure  no  woman  is  safe  from  the 
weaknesses  of  her  own  nature.  I  should  not  dare 
to  marry  you,  Mr.  Clay.  I  care  too  much  for  the 
things  that  I  ought  to  despise.  They  interest  and 
absorb  me.  I  am  vain  and  frivolous.  Forget  me, 
Mr.  Clay.  There  are  other  women  who  will  make 
you  far  happier  than  I  could  ever  do." 

"  There  is  no  one  like  you  in  the  world,"  he  ex 
claimed.  "  I  will  never  give  you  up." 

"  It  is  useless  to  talk  so,"  she  murmured.  "  I  hate 
to  cause  you  pain,  but  I  cannot  make  a  different  an 
swer.  Do  you  not  remember  telling  me,"  she  con 
tinued,  "  that  only  the  few  can  hope  to  be  rich,  and 
that  to  labor  and  struggle  must  be  the  lot  of  all  but 
a  small  proportion  of  mankind  ?  Riches  are  a  re 
ward,  a  prize — representing  industry  or  talent  on 
the  part  of  the  possessor  or  of  his  or  her  ancestors. 
What  right  have  I  to  reap  the  highest  reward  of 
life  when  I  have  never  taken  part  in  the  struggle  ? 
Would  it  be  consistent  with  pride  to  accept  from  a 
man  I  do  not  love  the  means  of  exemption  from 


FACE    TO  FACE.  2f3 

self-support  ?  I  put  the  -question  to  you  because  I 
have  already  put  it  to  myself.  There  is  but  one  an 
swer  to  it." 

"I  do  not  understand  you,"  he  said. 

"  You  will  when  I  tell  you  that  during  the  past 
week  I  have  received  the  distressing  news  from  home 
that  my  father  has  lost  money.  In  consequence  of 
this  I  shall  be  obliged  to  leave  my  cousin's  house 
and  earn  my  own  living." 

Clay  started  and  gazed  at  her  with  astonishment 
scarcely  less  than  Mrs.  Willoughby  had  displayed. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Precisely  what  I  have  said,"  Evelyn  answered. 
"  I  feel  that  I've  no  right  to  be  a  burden  on  my 
family.  I  have  received  a  good  education.  Why 
should  I  not  make  some  practical  use  of  it  ?" 

"  What  is  it  you  propose  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  hope  to  teach  eventually.  But  to  begin  with, 
I  shall  do  anything  that  seems  to  offer  me  a  chance 
for  a  livelihood." 

"  This  is  sheer  madness.  You  cannot  be  in  ear 
nest,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Reflect " 

"  I  have  reflected,"  she  interposed.  "  I  have  con 
sidered  the  matter  most  carefully." 

"Does  Mrs.  Pimlico  know  of  your  determina 
tion?"  Clay  inquired. 

"  She  does,  and  disapproves." 

"  Humph  !  "  He  resumed  pacing  the  room.    "  Yo«r 
father  in  trouble  and  you  obliged  to  support  your 
self  ?     Surely  his  losses  cannot  be  so  severe  as  to 
necessitate  that  ?  " 
18 


274  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"  I  do  not  know  exactly.  I  only  know  that  he  has 
lost  a  great  deal  of  money.  He  has  several  unmar 
ried  daughters,  and  the  expenses  of  the  household 
are  large.  I  wish  to  save  him  from  any  further  re 
sponsibility  on  my  account." 

"  Oh,  Evelyn,  why  won't  you  let  me  help  you  ?  " 
exclaimed  the  young  man.  "  I  have  money  enough 
for  you  all." 

"  It  is  a  temptation,  as  I  told  you,"  she  answered. 
"You  can  see  that  now.  But  I  am  too  much  your 
friend,  Mr.  Clay,  to  do  you  so  great  an  injury." 

"  My  friend  ! "  he  ejaculated.  "  You  little  realize 
how  cruelly  that  word  sounds.  It  is  hard  to  have  to 
feel  that  you  prefer  such  a  step  to  becoming  my  wife." 

Evelyn  was  silent  a  moment.  "  There  is  no  alter 
native  open  to  me,"  she  said.  "A  woman  is  ex 
pected  to  marry.  It  is  natural  for  her  to  do  so.  I 
have  had  other  offers,  which,  as  well  as  yours,  would 
have  supplied  me  with  a  home.  Since  I  have  pre 
ferred  to  remain  single,  I  feel  that  I  ought  to  pro 
vide  for  myself,"  she  said  with  simplicity. 

"  Why  do  you  wish  to  remain  single  ? "  he  asked. 

"  I  have  no  such  wish.  I  trust  that  I  may  marry 
some  day." 

"  Is  there  anyone  else  ?  "  he  asked,  stopping  in 
front  of  her,  "You  say  you  have  had  other  offers." 

"  There  is  no  one,"  she  answered. 

He  walked  impatiently  up  and  down  the  room 
with  his  hands  clasped  behind  his  back. 

"  I  will  not  give  you  up,"  he  blurted  out.  "  Shall 
you  remain  over  here  ?  "  he  inquired  presently. 


FACE    TO  FACE,  275 

"  Yes,  I  have  fewer  acquaintances  on  this  side  of 
the  water,  and  I  suppose  my  friends  at  home  would 
be  shocked  even  more  than  those  here.' 

"Evelyn,  Evelyn,"  cried  Clay,  with  a  new  access 
of  pain.  "  All  this  makes  it  so  much  the  harder  for 
me  to  lose  you." 

He  sat  down  again  beside  her.  "You  are  noble 
and  brave  and  pure  and  good,"  he  continued.  "  What 
right  have  I  to  aspire  to  you  ?  What  right  have  I 
to  dream  that  you  could  love  me.  My  nature  is 
small  and  narrow  and  petty.  There  is  good  reason 
for'your  decision.  But  I  find  it  very  hard  to  bear." 

He  covered  his  face  with  his  hands. 

Evelyn  made  no  response  for  a  little  while.  "In 
deed  you  wrong  yourself,  Mr.  Clay,"  she  said.  "Any 
woman  should  be  proud  of  a  love  so  genuine  and 
disinterested  as  yours.  Besides,  I  value  dearly  your 
friendship — if  you  will  not  forbid  the  word.  I  have 
learned  a  great  deal  from  you.  Before  I  met  you  I 
was  ignorant  and  foolish.  You  have  helped  me  to 
correct  many  erroneous  ideas  and  to  see  life  as  it  is» 
It  is  true  I  do  not  love  you,"  she  added,  gently.  "  I 
cannot  say  why.  Perhaps  it  is  my  own  fault,  my 
lack  of  the  capacity  to  feel  deeply.  It  is  said,  you 
know,  that  in  this  critical  age  of  ours,  the  power  to 
fall  in  love  is  frozen  out  of  many.  That  may  be  the 
case  with  me.  I  am  not  sure  that  it  is  not." 

"No,  no,"  he  cried,  "the  fault  is  in  my  ttnworthi- 
ness.  A  nature  as  enthusiastic  and  earnest  as  yours 
is  adapted  to  love.  You  are  courageous  and  strong, 
and  not  afraid  to  act.  I  am  a  mere  dreamer.  N» 


276  FACE    TO   FACE. 

wonder  you  do  not  care  for  me.  What  have  I  eve? 
done  to  prove  my  manhood  J" 

"  We  have  both  been  dreamers,"  she  answered. 
"  Our  work  lies  before  us.  Our  paths  must  divide 
for  the  present,"  she  added. 

"Yes,  for  the  present,"  he  responded  eagerly. 
''  But  let  me  carry  away  with  me  the  hope  that  if  I 
prove  faithful  to  my  trust  our  paths  may  reunite." 

"  Hope  ?  "  she  echoed. 

"  It  was  you  who  inspired  me,  and  you  leave  ma 
to  fight  the  battle  alone." 

"  You  will  win  without  me,"  she  said. 

"  And  if  I  do,  tell  me  that  you  will  love  me." 

Evelyn  looked  at  him  with  troubled  eyes.  "I  can 
not  tell,  Mr.  Clay.  I  do  not  know  what  love  is,  ex 
cept  from  dreams.  Hark  !  the  others  are  coming," 
she  cried,  as  the  jingle  of  sleigh-bells  resounded 
from  the  avenue. 

"  I  shall  take  those  words  with  me  as  a  token  of 
encouragement,"  he  said,  rising.  "Good-by.  Heaven 
bless  and  keep  you,"  he  exclaimed,  and  bending  low 
he  seized  and  kissed  her  hand.  A  moment  later  he 
was  gone,  and  Evelyn,  with  her  eyes  full  of  tears, 
was  standing  motionless,  staring  after  him.  The 
laughter  of  her  friends  in  the  hall  brought  her  to 
herself.  They  came  in  bubbling  over  with  gayety. 
They  had  met  Clay  at  the  door,  and  they  hastened 
to  surround  Evelyn  to  twit  her  jocosely  on  the  time 
liness  of  her  headache. 

One  by  one  they  left  the  room  to  take  off  theix 
furs,  until  only  Mrs.  Willoughby,  who  had  bee» 


PACK    TO   FACE.  2ff 

musing  over  the  fire,  remained.  When  all  had  gone 
she  turned  to  Evelyn  with  a  tentative 

"  Well,  dear  ? " 

"  Cousin  Clara,"  was  the  response,  "  Mr.  Clay 
has  just  asked  me  to  become  his  wife,  and  I  have 
refused  him." 

There  was  a  death-like  silence. 

"I  am  bound  to  tell  you,  of  course,"  continued 
Evelyn,  "  and  I  heartily  wish,  for  your  sake,  I  could 
have  given  him  a  different  answer." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  sat  speechless,  twirling  her 
muff.  Her  vocabulary  seemed  to  her  perhaps  un 
equal  to  the  occasion.  At  length  she  rose  and 
gathered  up  her  wraps.  Just  before  she  opened  the 
door  she  turned  her  head  and  remarked  : 

"  All  I  can  say  is,  that  you  have  committed  social 
suicide,  Evelyn.  You  will  look  at  it  some  day  as  I 
do." 

Then  Mrs.  Willoughby  left  the  room. 

Evelyn  endeavored  to  be  natural  and  sprightly  at 
dinner,  but  she  found  it  difficult,  and  very  early  in 
the  evening  she  pleaded  fatigue  and  went  to  her 
chamber.  She  desired  to  be  alone,  that  she  might 
collect  her  thoughts.  Her  nerves  felt  strained  and 
excited.  She  knew  that  in  refusing  Mr.  Clay  she 
had  taken  a  decisive  step.  But  she  was  not  con 
scious  ot  regrets.  She  said  to  herself,  that  if  the 
decision  were  to  be  made  again  she  would  act  m 
no  respect  differently. 

For  the  first  time  in  her  life,  however,  the  thought 
that  she  was  loved  ardently  for  herself  alone  was 


278  FACE    TO  FACE. 

pleasant  to  her.  She  felt  grateful  to  Mr.  Clay,  and 
it  grieved  her  to  have  occasioned  him  suffering. 
When  former  suitors  had  woed,  she  had  been  prone 
to  laugh  at  their  expressions  of  devotion,  but  she 
had  listened  to  him  in  a  different  spirit.  She  won 
dered  if  the  reason  were  not  that  she  was  lonely 
and  in  need  of  friends.  As  she  had  told  Mr.  Clay, 
her  acquaintance  with  him  had  influenced  her 
greatly  and  opened  her  eyes  to  the  inaccuracy  of 
her  own  theories.  She  thought  of  his  words,  "  It 
was  you  who  inspired  me,"  and  their  remembrance 
caused  her  a  thrill  of  satisfaction,  for  she  could  not 
kelp  recalling  at  the  same  time  the  details  of  their 
first  meeting.  She  had  then  offended  his  fine  sense 
of  propriety  and  shocked  his  dearest  prejudices. 
How  contemptible,  too,  he  had  appeared  to  her  \ 
Their  natures  had  seemed  as  irreconcilable  as  the 
antipodes.  That  was  six  months  ago,  and  now  he 
•vras  eager  to  make  her  his  wife,  and  miserable  at 
her  inability  to  return  his  love.  There  was  no 
doubt  that  each  had  worked  a  change  in  the  other. 
Was  it  not  largely  owing  to  Mr.  Clay  that  she  was 
no  longer  an  unpractical  enthusiast  ?  Ah  !  if  only 
it  were  true  that  she  were  what  he  thought  her ! 
He  believed  her  strong  in  purpose,  and  had  said 
that  her  nobility  of  character  had  spurred  him  to 
overcome  the  morbid  tendencies  of  his  disposition. 
How  delightful  it  must  be  to  be  filled  with  a  pas 
sion  so  strong  and  disinterested  as  his  !  She  would 
hare  declared,  a  few  months  ago,  that  he  was  in 
capable  of  so  absorbing  a  feeling.  She  wondered,, 


FACE    TO   FACE.  2f9 

again,  if  she  might  not  be  without  a  heart,  as  her 
cousin  Clara  had  insinuated.  And  yet  Mr.  Clay 
had  assured  her  of  the  contrary.  He  had  said  that 
her  earnestness  and  enthusiasm  fitted  her  for  loving. 
Yet  she  did  not  love  him,  if  indeed  true  love  were 
akin  to  what  she  had  believed  it  to  be.  But  so  it 
must  be,  for  had  not  he  waited  also,  and  when  at 
last  the  fire  had  entered  his  soul,  found  therein  a 
happiness  which  made  him  impatient  with  unworthy 
living  ?  She  thought  of  the  lines  of  Wordsworth  : 

"  Learned  by  a  mortal  yearning  to  ascend — 
Seeking  a  higher  object.     Love  was  given, 

Encouraged,  sanctioned  chiefly  for  that  end ; 
For  this  the  passion  to  excess  was  driven 

That  self  might  be  annulled." 

Self  !  The  secret  of  life  was  to  forget  one's  self  ;  to 
lose  in  engrossment  in  another's  welfare  solicitude 
for  one's  own.  This  was  the  lesson  of  spirit  to 
matter,  and  through  this  unity  of  wedded  souls  a 
love  was  born  warm  enough  to  include  humanity  in 
its  compass. 

Self !  Would  that  she  could  escape  from  her  own 
self !  But  there  it  was,  staring  her  in  the  face,  a  po 
tential  reality,  a  despotism  ever  craving  recognition. 
Whatever  her  heart  might  despise,  was  not  her  nat 
ure  perpetually  at  hand — her  nature  frivolous  and 
volatile,  shrinking  from  duty  and  susceptible  to 
vanity  ? 

And  the  god  of  self  was  wealth — money  the  stand 
ard  of  success,  the  glittering  prize  for  which  men 


280  FACE    TO   FACE. 

fought  and  struggled  as  for  nothing  else.  Money 
was  indeed  the  power  of  the  material  world. 
Through  its  possession  mankind  lived  and  pros 
pered,  and  through  the  lack  of  it  suffered  and  died 
in  misery.  To  accumulate  it  was  one  of  the  chief  of 
human  duties. 

Money  was  the  most  precious  gift  of  matter,  and 
love  the  noblest  representative  of  spirit.  In  the 
union  of  these  two  mighty  forces  was  the  hope  of 
civilization,  the  promise  of  the  progress  of  the  race. 

She  recalled  her  experiences  of  the  past  twenty- 
four  hours  ;  the  luxury  of  Mr.  Brock's  home,  the 
picturesqueness  of  the  winter  scene,  the  strike  of 
the  operatives,  her  strange  encounter  in  the  wood 
with  their  ringleader,  the  episode  of  the  necklace, 
and  lastly  the  ardent  proposal  of  Ernest  Clay.  What 
a  variety  of  circumstances,  and  what  an  illustration 
of  the  contrasts  between  the  lives  of  the  affluent  and 
the  destitute  !  She  thought  of  De  Vito's  handsome, 
sullen  face,  as  she  had  seen  it  when  he  bent  to  kiss 
her  hand,  and  as  she  had  again  beheld  it  when  her 
eyes  met  his  fixed  on  her  from  behind  the  dining- 
room  window.  She  could  not  believe  that  he  had 
come  to  the  house  the  evening  before  merely  to 
steal,  as  Mr.  Clay  declared.  But  for  what  purpose 
had  he  come  if  not  for  that  ? 

Her  glance  happened  to  fall  on  the  mirror,  in 
which  she  could  perceive  her  countenance  reflected. 
Her  cheeks  were  flushed,  her  eyes  were  glistening. 
She  was  in  evening  dress,  and  around  her  neck  lay 
the  gift  of  pearls  which  her  host  had  given  her 


FACE    TO  FACE.  28 1 

She  realized  that  she  was  very  beautiful.  Shq  gazed 
and  smiled,  and  as  she  gazed  the  social  triumphs  of 
the  past  months  came  into  her  mind. 

She  brushed  her  hand  across  her  eyes.  Life 
seemed  to  her  a  strange  mystery.  Thank  heaven  ! 
her  duty  lay  before  her,  simple  and  distinct.  She 
had  to  earn  her  own  living.  All  her  energies  must 
be  devoted  to  that  end.  This  was  her  sole  respon 
sibility  for  the  present,  and  in  fulfilling  it  she  would 
be  free  from  the  temptations  and  questionings  which 
had  assailed  her  hitherto.  She  was  to  return  to 
New  York  in  a  day  or  two,  and  she  would  then  be 
stir  herself  to  find  occupation. 

She  looked  at  her  watch.  It  was  after  midnight. 
She  felt  thirsty  and  exhausted.  Opening  her  door 
she  peered  over  the  banisters.  The  hall  below  was 
dark.  It  was  evident  that  everyone  had  gone  to 
bed.  Evelyn  knew  that  she  would  find  water  and 
cake  in  the  dining-room.  Accordingly  she  lighted 
a  candle  and  crept  down  the  stairs,  stepping  softly 
as  possible  lest  she  should  arouse  any  of  the  house 
hold,  for  she  reflected  that  it  would  be  embarrassing 
to  be  caught  prowling  about  at  that  hour  of  the 
night.  Fortunately,  owing  to  the  out-door  exercise, 
it  seemed  probable  that  all  would  sleep  soundly. 

She  opened  the  dining-room  door,  and  was  step 
ping  forward  when  a  noise  arrested  her  attention. 
In  front  of  the  safe  from  which  Mr.  Brock  had 
taken  the  necklace  was  the  crouching  figure  of  a 
man,  who  was  fumbling  with  the  lock.  He  turned 
round  at  her  entrance,  and  perceiving  that  he  was 


282  FACE    TO   FACE. 

detected  sprang  to  his  feet.  Evelyn  started  back. 
Shaken  as  were  her  nerves  she  was  able  to  scream, 
"  Robbers — robbers — help — help." 

She  ran  toward  the  staircase.  Just  then  a  gust 
of  air  from  a  window  in  the  library,  which  the  in 
vader  had  evidently  left  open,  blew  out  her  candle. 

Alarmed  by  her  outcry  the  fellow  started  to  es 
cape  by  way  of  the  library,  being  obliged  to  cross 
the  hall  in  order  to  do  so.  With  an  oath  he  rushed 
at  Evelyn.  Terrified  as  she  was  an  instinct  to  pre 
vent  his  flight  took  possession  of  her,  and  renewing 
her  screams  she  attempted  to  throw  her  arms  about 
the  man's  neck.  It  was  too  dark  to  distinguish  a 
feature  of  his  face. 

For  a  moment  she  stopped  his  headway  by  bear 
ing  heavily  upon  him.  He  grasped  at  her  throat, 
and  catching  his  fingers  in  her  necklace  ripped  it 
so  that  the  pearls  flew  in  all  directions.  Then  she 
felt  herself  whirled  about  with  a  frightful  violence 
and  hurled  aside.  She  knew  no  more  until  she 
found  herself  on  the  library  sofa  surrounded  bj  her 
anxious  friends. 


XIV. 

«  TX)  think,   Willoughby,"  exclaimed   Mrs.   Pim- 

1  lico,  one  morning  just  after  breakfast,  some 
two  months  later,  "  to  think  that  the  grand  jury- 
should  refuse  to  bring  in  a  true  bill,  as  you  call  it, 
against  De  Vito !  I  can't  understand  it" 

"  The  evidence  against  him  was  very  slight,"  an 
swered  her  husband,  from  behind  his  newspaper. 

"  Slight  ?  It  seems  to  me  it  was  overwhelming. 
Didn't  he  attack  Evelyn  in  the  wood,  and  wasn't  he 
detected  peering  in  through  the  window  on  the 
night  before  the  house  was  broken  into  ?  I  don't 
see  what  better  evidence  one  could  want." 

"  I  have  an  idea  that  legally  it  wouldn't  have 
much  weight.  At  any  rate,  dear,  he  has  been  dis 
charged." 

"  I  presume  because  Evelyn  wasn't  killed  the 
jury  didn't  think  the  matter  worth  troubling  their 
heads  about,"  continued  Mrs.  Pimlico.  "  It  was  a 
mere  accident  she  wasn't  killed.  We  might  per 
fectly  well  have  all  been  murdered.  In  that  case 
they  wouldn't  have  dared  to  let  him  off." 

"  I  fancy  it  wouldn't  have  made  any  difference," 
said  Willoughby.  "The  law  is  the  law,  you  know." 

After  this  oracular  utterance  they  were   both  si- 


284  FACE    TO   FACE. 

lent  until  Willoughby  made  an  ejaculation  and  let 
the  paper  drop  on  his  lap. 

"  Why,  Clara,  this  is  very  sudden.  Mr.  Brock  is 
dead." 

"  Dead  ?     Mr.  Brock  ?  " 

"  That's  what  is  printed  here.  '  At  his  residence, 
on  Tuesday  the  i4th  inst.,  Wilbur  Pierce  Brock,  aged 
sixty-nine  years.' " 

41  How  shocking !  It  must  have  been  terribly  sud 
den.  Had  you  heard  that  he  was  ill  ? " 

"  Not  a  word.   I  saw  him  at  the  club  a  few  days  ago. " 

"  Evelyn  will  feel  dreadfully,"  said  Mrs.  Pimlico. 
"She  was  very  fond  of  Mr.  Brock.  Sixty-nine.  I 
didn't  think  he  was  so  old." 

"  He  will  be  a  great  loss.  He  was  an  able  and  a 
kind-hearted  man,"  said  her  husband. 

After  they  had  discussed  the  sad  news  a  little  fur 
ther  Mrs.  Pimlico  said: 

"  I  suppose  Mr.  Brock  must  leave  a  great  deal  of 
money,  Willoughby  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly.     He  was  reputed  very  rich." 

41  I  wonder  whom  it  will  go  to.  He  has  no  near 
relatives.  You  remember  his  niece  died  only  a  year 
or  two  ago.  She  was  the  last  of  his  family,  he  has 
told  me." 

"  Probably  he  has  distant  cousins.  I  fancy,  if 
what  you  say  is  correct,  he  is  likely  to  have  made 
some  large  charitable  bequests." 

"Yes."  Mrs.  Willoughby  was  silent  a  moment. 
"  I  shouldn't  be  very  much  surprised,"  she  con 
tinued,  "  if  he  had  left  Evelyn  something." 


FACE    TO  FACE.  285 

Her  husband  laughed.  "  What  a  curious  woman 
you  are,  Clara.  Perhaps  he  has  left  us  all  some 
thing." 

"  He  had  a  strong  liking  for  Evelyn,"  Mrs.  Wil- 
loughby  answered,  reflectively.  "  He  gave  her  that 
beautiful  necklace,  which  was  worth  a  mint  of  money, 
and  he  was  forever  talking  about  her  before  that. 
Only  think  how  devoted  he  has  been  to  her  since 
her  accident.  Hardly  a  day  has  passed  without  his 
coming  to  see  her,  or  sending  her  flowers  and  every 
sort  of  delicacy.  Of  course,"  she  added,  "  it  isn't 
very  nice  to  speculate  so  soon  after  his  death  as  to 
what  the  poor  man  has  done  with  his  money,  but 
the  more  I  think  of  it,  the  more  probable  it  seems 
to  me  that  he  has  left  her  something.  I  trust  fer 
vently  that  he  has,  for  then  she  would  have  no  ex 
cuse  for  persevering  in  her  mad  scheme  of  support 
ing  herself." 

"  She  still  insists  on  that,  does  she  ?  "  asked  Wil- 
loughby. 

"  Oh  yes,"  answered  his  wife,  with  a  sigh.  "  Only 
yesterday  she  told  me  that  as  soon  as  the  doctor 
would  say  she  was  strong  enough  she  intended  to 
look  out  for  lodgings.  I  do  wish  she  would  let  us 
adopt  her.  I've  done  my  best  to  persuade  her  to 
consent  to  be  reasonable,  but  it's  no  use.  Ever 
since  she  learned  that  her  father's  failure  was  worse 
even  than  she  at  first  supposed,  she  has  absolutely 
declined  to  listen  to  argument." 

"She  is  a  very  peculiar  girl,"  said  Willoughby. 
"  The  only  way  is  to  give  her  her  head,  I  fancy. 


2$6  FACE    TO  FACE. 

From  remarks  she  has  let  drop  from  time  to  time  1 
rather  think  she  was  a  handful  at  home." 

"  They  sent  her  over  here  to  get  rid  of  her,  that's 
the  long  and  short  of  it,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby,  in 
dignantly.  "However,  I've  become  exceedingly  at 
tached  to  Evelyn,"  she  continued,  "  and  I  should  like 
to  have  her  stay  with  us  indefinitely,  if  only  we  could 
be  sure  she  wouldn't  commit  some  dreadful  impro- 
priety  that  would  drag  us  into  the  newspapers.  As 
it  is,  if  she  leaves  us,  people  will  say  we  have  turned 
her  out  of  house  and  home.  Not  that  I  care  what 
people  say,  but  after  taking  so  much  pains  as  I  have 
taken  about  Evelyn,  it  does  seem  rather  hard  to  have 
her  threatening  to  give  music  lessons.  It  is  natural, 
of  course,  to  wish  not  to  be  burdensome  to  her  family 
at  this  time,  and  it  was  creditable  to  her  good  feel 
ings  that  the  idea  of  contributing  to  her  own  sup 
port  should  have  come  into  her  mind.  But  that  she 
should  think  of  it  seriously,  after  our  invitation  to 
make  her  home  with  us,  is  utterly  incomprehensible 
to  me.  I  can't  believe  now  that  she  is  really  in 
earnest  There's  no  use  in  talking  about  it.  It 
drives  me  frantic.  \  won't  believe  it  until  she  leaves 
the  house." 

"There's  no  accounting  for  girls  any  more  than 
there  is  for  horses,  I  suppose,"  observed  Willoughby. 
"  But  it's  surprising,  to  say  the  least,  that  Evelyn 
should  have  such  notions.  If  it  were  one  of  your 
own  country  women  now  ! " 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  interrupted  his  wife,.  "You 
wouldn't  find  a  girl  of  our  acquaintance  who  would 


FACE   TO  FACE. 

act  so.  We  may  be  unformed  and  lacking  in  socia' 
perspective,  but  we  know  how  to  educate  our 
daughters  better  than  that.  Of  course  I'm  speak 
ing  of  nice  people.  As  for  the  creatures  one  reads 
of  in  American  novels,  they  exist,  I  believe,  but  who 
ever  meets  them  ?  My  own  belief  is  that  Evelyn 
has  got  into  her  head  that,  in  order  to  be  like  an 
American,  it  is  necessary  to  be  peculiar.  Don't  you 
remember  what  strange  ideas  she  had  regarding  us 
all  when  she  first  arrived  ?  She  really  expected 
that  the  prairies  were  within  a  stone's  throw  of 
New  York.  And  then,  too,  there  is  no  question  that 
she  behaved  very  singularly  during  the  voyage  out, 
though  I  have  never  quite  got  to  the  bottom  of  that 
performance.  Her  conduct  is  one  of  the  conse 
quences  of  our  writers  of  fiction  giving  foreigners 
to  understand  that  all  our  girls  are  like  the  heroines 
of  their  stories." 

"  I  sympathize  with  you,  Clara,  entirely,"  said 
Willoughby.  "  It's  highly  annoying.  But  what 
can  we  do  about  it,  if  she  chooses  to  be  so  mis 
guided  ?  We  have  no  authority  over  her.  We  can 
only  reason  with  her,  and,  if  argument  fails,  leave 
her  to  her  own  devices  and  trust  for  the  best.  At 
any  rate  it  is  preferable  that  she  should  sow  her 
wild  oats  here  rather  than  at  home." 

"Why  so,  pray  ?  "  demanded  his  wife  fiercely. 

Willoughby  hemmed  and  hawed  a  little.  "With 
out  wishing  to  be  disrespectful  to  your  native  land, 
my  love,  I  should  scarcely  put  the  two  countries  on 
a  Dar  yet,"  he  said.  "  One  still  meets  very  odd  peo- 


288  FACE    TO   FACE. 

pie,  both  male  and  female,  on  this  side  of  th« 
water." 

"  Not  in  society,  Willoughby  ;  and  Evelyn  has 
not  met  a  soul  outside  of  society.  She  brought 
with  her  whatever  peculiarities  she  has." 

"We  might  send  her  home,"  he  said. 

"She  won't  go  home.  I  have  suggested  that. 
But  she  thinks  the 'field  for  employment,' as  she 
calls  it,  is  larger  over  here.  Oh,  Willoughby,  isn't 
it  excruciating  ? "  she  cried,  in  a  tone  of  despair. 
"Only  think  how  differently  we  should  feel  if  Eve 
lyn  had  accepted  Ernest  Clay.  She  would  have 
everything  that  money  can  command.  Well,  I  did 
all  ,1  could.  I  have  nothing  to  reproach  myself 
for." 

"  Yes,  it  was  a  great  pity.  Clay  was  a  good  fellow. 
Where  is  he  now  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  In  Paris,  I  presume."  Mrs.  Wil 
loughby  gave  a  squirm  expressive  of  further  dissat 
isfaction.  "Why  did  he  want  to  go  abroad?  His 
only  chance  was  to  remain  at  home.  But  no,  he 
would  have  it  he  was  going  abroad  to  study.  When 
I  asked  him  how  long  a  stay  he  expected  to  make, 
he  put  on  a  tragedy  face  and  said,  '  It  may  be  for 
years,  and  it  may  be  forever.'  His  mother  is  really 
broken-hearted.  She  was  bent  on  the  match.  Oh, 
Willoughby,"  she  added  after  a  pause,  "  do  say  you 
think  there  is  a  chance." 

"A  chance  of  what  ?" 

"That  Mr.  Brock  has  left  Evelyn  something. 
Now  don't  look  so  severe,"  she  said,  putting  her 


FACF    TO  FACE.  289 

arms  around  his  neck.  "  I  don't  mean  any  disre 
spect.  I  am  dreadfully  sorry  that  he  has  died. 
But  since  he  is  dead  I  don't  see  any  harm  in  won 
dering  what  is  to  become  of  his  property.  Some 
body  must  get  it." 

"  I  am  no  wiser  than  you,  Clara.  But  I  should 
say  that  my  cousin's  chance  is  exceedingly  small." 

Mrs.  Pimlico  shook  her  head  with  an  air  of  wis 
dom.  "  How  long  will  it  be  before  we  know  ?  "  she 
inquired  presently. 

"  It  is  not  usual  to  open  the  will  until  after  the 
funeral." 

She  looked  a  little  grave,  as  though  this  allusion 
to  the  last  rites  of  the  dead  had  made  her  feel  guilty. 

"  Of  course  we  shall  go  to  the  funeral,"  she  said, 
quietly. 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  at  this  point  by 
the  entrance  of  Evelyn,  which  caused  surprise,  inas 
much  as  by  the  doctor's  order  the  invalid  was  not 
accustomed  to  get  up  before  noon.  But  she  had 
been  convalescing  rapidly  during  the  last  few  days. 
Although  she  had  received  no  bodily  harm  except 
a  slight  contusion  on  the  head  from  her  midnight 
encounter,  her  nervous  system  had  suffered  so 
severe  a  shock  that  she  had  been  greatly  debili 
tated. 

Evelyn  was  still  completely  in  the  dark  as  to  the 
identity  of  her  assailant.  She  had  been  unable  to 
distinguish  the  man's  face  at  the  time.  Although 
the  rest  of  the  party  had  been  strongly  of  the  opin 
ion  that  De  Vito  was  concerned  in  the  affair,  if  not 
'9 


29O  FACE   TO  FACE. 

the  actual  miscreant  with  whom  she  had  grappled, 
she  refused  to  believe  him  guilty  ;  though  when 
asked  her  reasons  for  presuming  him  innocent  she 
was  forced  to  admit  that  they  were  not  substantial. 
De  Vito  had  been  captured  the  next  day  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  town.  On  being  charged  with  the 
crime  he  suffered  himself  in  sullen  silence  to  be 
carried  off  to  prison.  Subsequently  hp  refused  to 
account  for  himself  on  the  night  of  the  attempted 
robbery  or  to  make  any  statement  beyond  disclaim 
ing  all  knowledge  of  the  affair.  It  appeared  by  in 
vestigation  that  he  had,  as  reported,  taken  the  train 
from  Clyme  Valley  on  the  morning  after  he  was  de 
tected  looking  through  the  window  at  Highlands, 
but  was  seen  to  get  off  a  few  miles  further  along. 
There  was  no  other  evidence  against  him,  and 
though  at  the  instance  of  Mr.  Brock  the  accusation 
had  been  pressed,  he  was  not  indicted  by  the  grand 

jury- 

The  intelligence  of  Mr.  Brock's  death  caused 
Evelyn  great  pain.  His  attentions  since  her  unfor 
tunate  experience  at  his  house  had  been  unremit 
ting.  He  had  called  to  see  her  as  often  as  her  doc 
tor  would  permit,  and  had  kept  her  supplied  with 
books  and  flowers  and  fruit.  She  had  become  ex 
tremely  fond  of  him  ;  so  much  so  that  knowing  his 
practical  qualities  she  had  been  several  times  on  the 
point  of  informing  him  of  her  determination  to  sup 
port  herself.  But  the  consciousness  of  his  wealth 
had  deterred  her.  She  feared  lest  he  might  regard 
her  confidence  as  a  covert  appeal  for  pecuniary  aid 


FACE   TO  FACE.  2<)I 

In  tfce  course  of  one  of  these  interviews  with  Mr. 
Brock  during  her  convalescence  she  had  asked  him 
some  questions  regarding  the  relations  between 
capital  and  labor.  She  had  found  him  greatly  in 
terested  in  the  subject,  but,  rather  to  her  surprise, 
without  clearly  defined  views  as  to  how  the  working 
classes  should  be  treated.  He  seemed  almost  bitter 
at  the  behavior  of  his  own  operatives,  instancing 
what  he  had  done  to  render  them  comfortable  and 
happy.  At  the  close  of  the  conversation,  however, 
he  had  said  slowly,  as  though  he  were  making  an 
admission  which  went  against  his  grain  : 

"  If  I  had  my  life  to  live  over  again,  I  suppose  I 
should  act  differently.  I  ought  to  have  done  more 
than  I  did.  But  you  must  remember,"  he  added 
after  a  moment,  "  that  I  had  my  own  way  in  the 
world  to  make.  I  had  very  little  education,  and  I 
was  over  fifty  years  old  before  I  had  the  leisure  to 
consider  such  questions.  Besides,  at  that  age  it  is 
hard  to  adopt  new  ideas.  But  with  you,  my  dear, 
it  is  different." 

He  had  spoken  these  last  words  with  a  kindly 
look  at  Evelyn.  They  recalled  the  remark  which 
he  had  made  in  the  wood  to  her  and  Clay.  Some 
thing  had  turned  the  conversation  at  the  time,  but 
they  had  remained  in  her  mind. 

Only  a  day  or  two  after  this  talk  with  Mr.  Brock 
Ernest  Clay  had  sent  her  a  note  to  announce  that 
he  was  going  to  Europe.  He  had  called  frequently 
at  the  door  to  inquire  if  she  were  better,  but  he  had 
never  asked  to  sec  her.  The  note  contained  noth- 


292  FACE    TO   FACE. 

ing  more  than  a  bare  statement  of  the  fact  that  he 
was  to  sail  in  a  few  hours,  and  the  hope  that  she 
might  be  very  happy.  Evelyn  had  been  found  by 
Mrs.  Willoughby,  half  an  hour  later,  with  tears  in 
her  eyes.  The  note  was  lying  in  her  lap.  She 
handed  it  to  her  Cousin  Clara  without  a  word.  The 
latter  read  it,  and  after  a  scrutinizing  glance  at 
Evelyn's  face,  had  exclaimed  suddenly  : 

"  I  believe  you  love  that  man.  Let  me  send  him 
a  line  and  tell  him  not  to  go." 

"I  do  not  love  him,"  Evelyn  had  answered 
steadily. 

"Then  why  are  you  crying?"  Mrs.  Willoughbr 
inquired,  with  a  cruel  persistence. 

"  I  am  crying  because  life  is  so  perplexing.  You 
know,  Cousin  Clara,  the  doctor  says  my  nerves  are 
not  strong." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  had  made  another  insinuation 
to  the  same  effect  about  an  hour  later,  but  Evelyn 
checked  her  in  so  stern  a,  fashion  as  almost  to 
frighten  her  fair  cousin,  who  retaliated  by  observ 
ing,  "Well,  Evelyn,  you  grow  more  and  more  un 
intelligible  to  me  every  day." 

This  dialogue  had  taken  place  about  three  weeks 
before  Mr.  Brock's  death.  On  the  afternoon  fol 
lowing  the  day  of  the  funeral  Willoughby  Pimlico 
entered  his  wife's  drawing-room,  and  dropping  into 
a  chair  said  : 

"Well,  Clara,  I  shall  never  doubt  you  again." 

"  Then  it  is  true  that  he  has  left  her  something  ? ' 
Mrs.  Wilioughby  exclaimed,  excitedly. 


FACE    TO   FACE. 

"I  have  several  interesting  pieces  of  news,"  was 
the  answer. 

"  Do  be  quick,  Willoughby." 

"In  the  first  place,  it  seems, after  all,  that  it  was 
not  De  Vito  who  broke  into  the  house  that  night. 
A  fellow  who  was  shot  a  few  days  ago,  while  at 
tempting  to  rob  a  bank,  has  confessed  to  having  been 
the  man." 

"  Really  ?  But  no  matter  as  to  that  now,  dear. 
I  want  to  hear  about  the  will." 

"Presumably,"  continued  Willoughby,  "the  ras 
cal  took  advantage  of  the  fact  that  there  was  a  strike 
in  order  to  divert  suspicion  from  himself." 

"  Yes — yes." 

"  Mr.  Brock's  property  is  estimated  to  be  even 
larger  than  was  supposed.  The  story  is  that  he  has 
left  fifteen  millions." 

"  How  provoking  you  are  ! "  she  cried,  wringing 
her  hands  in  her  impatience.  "  Why  don't  you  tell 
me  ?  There  must  be  something  very  extraordinary 
to  tell,  or  you  wouldn't  act  so." 

"  Clara,  prepare  yourself  for  a  surprise,"  he  said, 
rising  and  standing  before  her.  "  With  the  excep 
tion  of  a  few  bequests  to  charity,  Mr.  Brock  has 
left  his  entire  fortune  to  Evelyn." 

"Willoughby,  you  are  joking." 

"  It  is  true  as  the  gospel." 

"  What !  his  entire  fortune  ?  " 

"  Every  cent,  apart  from  about  half  a  million 
which  goes  to  various  benevolent  institutions.  What 
do  you  think  of  that  ?  " 


294  FACE   TO  FACE. 

"I'm  dazed,"  she  said.  "What  did  I  tell  you, 
Willoughby  ?  I  knew  he  would  leave  her  some* 
thing.  An  old  bachelor — for  his  wife  has  beeu 
dead  so  long  he  was  practically  that — isn't  apt  to 
take  such  a  fancy  to  a  young  girl  as  Mr.  Brock  took 
to  Evelyn  without  remembering  her  in  his  will. 
My  only  fear  was  that  his  death  was  so  sudden  that 
he  mightn't  have  had  time  to  make  the  necessary 
alteration.  But  it  never  entered  my  head  that  it 
would  be  anything  like  this." 

"  The  will  is  dated  a  little  more  than  a  fortnight 
ago,"  said  Willoughby. 

"Only  think!  Wasn't  it  providential?"  she  ex 
claimed,  with  a  gasp  of  satisfaction.  "  Fifteen  mill 
ions!  It  sounds  like  a  novel.  Why,  Willoughby, 
she'll  be  a  great  deal  richer  than  we  are." 

"  Precisely." 

"  It's  simply  amazing.  Evelyn  doesn't  deserve 
such  a  piece  of  good  luck  after  refusing  Ernest 
Clay.  But,  thank  goodness,  she  won't  be  able  now 
to  make  a  goose  of  herself  in  the  manner  she  pro 
posed.  She  has  money  enough  and  to  spare.  She 
can  set  up  her  father  and  the  whole  family.  I'm 
just  crazy  to  tell  her.  And  you  say  De  Vito  turns 
out  not  to  have  been  guilty  ?  Evelyn  will  be 
pleased  at  that  too.  She  always  insisted  that  he 
was  innocent,  though  I  could  never  see  why." 

"I  wonder  what  she  will  do  with  her  money," 
observed  Willoughby  presently,  as  he  stood  strok 
ing  his  beard  with  his  back  to  the  fire. 

"  Do  with  it  ?  " 


FACE   TO  FACE. 

"  Yes,  it  isn't  reasonable  to  suppose  that  she  will 
be  content  to  live  quietly  as  we  do.  I'm  very  curi 
ous  to  see  what  effect  it  will  have  upon  her." 

His  wife  looked  at  him  uneasily. 

"  She  interests  me,"  he  continued,  reflectively. 
"  Of  course  I  didn't  approve  of  her  scheme  of  self- 
support  any  more  than  you  did  ;  but  I  like  her  in 
dependence.  To  borrow  a  bit  of  your  native  slang, 
my  love,  '  She  doesn't  care  whether  school  keeps  or 
not.'  The  mystery  is  how  my  Cousin  Mortimer 
came  to  have  such  a  daughter.  He  is  a  pattern  of 
conventionality,  you  know." 

"  Now,  Willoughby,  don't  put  any  outlandish 
notions  into  Evelyn's  head,  I  beg.  She  is  queer 
enough  already,  in  all  conscience'  sake,  without  your 
aiding  and  abetting  her." 

"  You  needn't  be  anxious,  Clara,"  he  answered.. 
"  I'm  much  too  lazy  to  impart  notions  to  anyone, 
even  if  I  had  any.  Ha  !  ha  !  "  The  good-natured 
Englishman  laughed  gleefully  over  this  jest  at  his 
own  expense. 

When  Evelyn  learned  the  news  that  she  had  be 
come  one  of  the  richest  women  in  the  world,  she 
was  speechless  with  amazement.  But  Mrs.  Wil 
loughby,  who  was  radiant,  prattled  enough  for  two. 
The  excitement  which  the  sudden  windfall  caused 
in  the  household  was  so  intense  that  neither  of  Eve 
lyn's  cousins  remembered  to  mention  to  her  the  fact 
of  De  Vito's  innocence  until  late  in  the  evening. 
Evelyn  seemed  more  aroused  by  that  intelligence 
than  by  her  good  luck,  recurring  to  it  again  and. 


296  FACE    TO   FACE. 

again,  rather  to  Mrs.  WiWoughby's  perplexity,  who 
-had  already  begun  to  build  all  sorts  of  castles  in  the 
air  for  the  benefit  of  the  fortune  legatee.  The  two 
women  sat  by  the  hearth  until  long  after  midnight, 
the  one  pensive  and  silent,  the  other  bubbling  over 
with  insinuating  little  speeches.  For  unswerving 
as  Mrs.  Willoughby  ordinarily  was  in  coming  to  the 
point  where  she  was  interested,  she  felt  so  far  awed 
by  Evelyn's  reticence  as  to  refrain  from  attempting 
to  satisfy  her  curiosity  regarding  the  future  by  di 
rect  interrogation. 

"  It  must  be  a  satisfaction  to  you,  Evelyn,  that 
you  put  on  mourning  of  your  own  accord,  before 
you  heard  what  he  had  done  for  you,"  she  mur 
mured,  as  they  rose  to  separate  for  the  night.  "  I 
presume,  dear,"  Mrs.  Willoughby  added,  "you  can 
scarcely  be  sorry  that  it  will  be  impossible  now  for 
you  to  carry  out  your  idea  of  leaving  us." 

Evelyn  looked  grave.  "  Of  course  I  ought  to  be 
very  grateful,"  she  said,  "  and  I  am.  But  so  much 
money  is  a  fearful  responsibility,  Cousin  Clara. 
What  can  I  do  with  it  ? " 

There  was  something  almost  beseeching  in  the 
girl's  expression,  but  this  escaped  Mrs.  Willoughby, 
who  answered  cheerily  : 

"You  will  find  it  goes  a  great  deal  faster  than 
you  imagine.  There's  no  such  thing  in  this  world 
as  having  too  large  an  income.  Good-night  dqar." 

Evelyn's  time  was  largely  occupied  during  the 
next  few  weeks  with  the  business  necessary  to  the 
settlement  of  the  estate.  Mr.  Brock's  property  had 


FACE    TO   FACE. 

consisted,  however,  largely  of  stocks  and  bonds, 
which  were  easily  reduced  into  possession.  Law 
yers  were  called  in,  of  course,  but  Evelyn  insisted 
on  understanding  every  step  which  was  taken.  In 
terpreters  were  not  necessary  to  acquaint  her  with 
the  extent  of  her  good  fortune.  She  realized  well 
from  the  first  that  she  had  become  one  of  the  fa 
vored  few  of  the  earth.  But  the  congratulations  of 
her  friends  and  the  personal  contact  with  the  world 
of  affairs  which  she  was  obliged  to  undergo  stirred 
and  elated  her.  She  felt  the  joy  of  almost  unlimited 
power.  Under  its  influence  she  grew  stronger 
daily,  and  before  long  she  had  recovered  all  her 
former  vivacity  and  vigor. 

Her  first  act  naturally  was  to  relieve  the  embar 
rassments  of  her  father,  and  in  so  doing  she  was 
scarcely  to  blame  for  feeling  av  trifle  triumphant 
that  she — the  only  one  of  his  daughters  with  whose 
conduct  hitherto  he  had  shown  dissatisfaction — 
should  be  the  medium  of  restoring  him  to  prosper 
ity.  She  had  a  liberal  sum  transferred  to  his  ac 
count  the  day  after  she  gained  complete  control  of 
the  property. 

She  was  equally  decided,  after  consulting  with  her 
Cousin  Willoughby,  whose  slow  and  perhaps  slug 
gish  judgment  she  found  serviceable  at  this  time, 
that  it  would  be  absurd  for  her  to  assume  the  per 
sonal  management  of  her  estate.  That  was  what 
she  proposed  to  do  at  first,  but  reflection  had  showed 
her  that  in  such  an  event  she  would  have  leisure  for 
nothing  else,  and  would  become  practically  a  slave 


298  FACE   TO  FACE. 

to  her  investment  account.  Accordingly  she  told  her 
Cousin  Willoughby  one  morning  that  she  wished 
him  to  find  some  trustworthy  person  to  take  this 
responsibility  off  her  hands. 

"That  will  be  very  easily  arranged,"  he  answered. 
"  I  can  think  of  half  a  dozen  good  lawyers,  any  one 
of  whom  could  be  entirely  relied  upon  for  the  pur 
pose." 

"  How  long  before  this  could  be  settled  ? "  asked 
Evelyn. 

"Within  a  week  or  two  I  should  suppose." 

Evelyn  was  silent  a  moment.  "  I  have  been 
thinking  matters  over  during  the  last  few  days," 
she  said,  "  and  I  have  concluded  to  retain  myself 
the  entire  control  of  the  property  at  Clyme  Valley — 
the  Wisabet  Mills  you  know.  I  suppose  there  would 
be  no  objection  to  that  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not  You  are  your  own  mistress." 
Willoughby  wondered  why  she  wished  to  make  this 
reservation,  but  he  made  no  comment  and  asked  no 
questions.  Experience  had  taught  him  that  his 
young  relative  had  her  own  convictions  and  was  not 
to  be  gainsaid. 

"  There  are  a  few  shares  of  the  Wisabet  Company 
that  I  do  not  own,"  Evelyn  continued.  "I  should 
like  to  have  them  bought  for  me.  I  understand,  of 
course,  that  I  shall  have  to  pay  more  than  the  mar 
ket  price,  but  I  am  ready  to  do  that." 

"Very  well,"  answered  Willoughby  stoically. 

"  I  received  this  morning,"  she  said,  "  a  letter 
from  the  superintendent,  telling  me  that  everything 


FACE   TO  FACE.  299 

is  quiet  and  running  smoothly  at  the  mill.  Most  of 
the  strikers  have  returned  to  work  at  the  old  wages, 
and  the  places  of  the  others  have  been  filled." 

"  How  came  the  superintendent  to  write  to  you  ?  " 
Willoughby  ventured  to  inquire. 

"  I  wrote  to  him  first." 

"  I  see." 

Willoughby  filled  and  lit  his  pipe,  humming  softly. 
Decidedly  this  cousin  was  amusing.  She  seemed  to 
him  to  bid  fair  to  out-American  the  Americans. 

"  Cousin  Willoughby,"  she  asked  presently, 
"how  should  I  be  most  likely  to  find  Andrew  De 
Vito  ?  By  advertising  ? " 

"  Whom  ? " 

"  De  Vito,  the  striker,  who  has  just  been  dis 
charged  from  prison  you  know." 

Willoughby  felt  an  almost  irresistible  impulse  to 
ask  what  possible  desire  she  could  have  to  meet 
such  a  character,  but  he  swallowed  down  his  curi 
osity  and  answered. 

"  The  authorities  at  the  prison  might  know." 

"  I've  already  consulted  them,  but  they  have  lost 
sight  of  him.  I've  written  to  his  mother  also," 
Evelyn  continued,  "but  she  evidently  regards  my 
letter  as  a  trap,  for  she  disclaims  all  knowledge  of 
his  whereabouts." 

"Are  you  thinking  of  making  him  an  offer  of 
marriage,  my  dear  ? "  he  asked,  with  a  humorous 
smile. 

"  Now  don't  spoil  the  good  impression  you  have 
produced  on  me,  Cousin  Willoughby,"  she  answered. 


300  FACE    TO   FACE, 

"  You've  let  me  have  tn y  own  way  so  far  and  haven't 
bothered  me  in  the  least." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said;  taking  a  puff  at 
his  pipe.  "  Marry  him  by  all  means  if  you  wish.  I 
wouldn't  forfeit  your  favorable  opinion  for  the 
world." 

They  both  laughed  gleefully. 

"I  know  I'm  dreadfully  trying,"  Evelyn  said, 
"but  I  can't  help  it.  It  seems  to  be  my  nature  to 
be  so,  Cousin  Willoughby.  You  don't  know  what 
to  make  of  me,"  she  added,  "but  you  put  up  with 
me.  On  the  other  hand,  I'm  a  thorn  in  the  flesh  to 
Cousin  Clara." 

"Your  Cousin  Clara  is  a  very  sensible  woman," 
answered  Willoughby,  recalling  perhaps  his  wife's 
injunctions  as  to  aiding  and  abetting. 

"  Of  course  she  is,  and  that  makes  it  all  the  harder 
for  her  to  understand  why  I'm  not  impatient  to  set 
up  a  gorgeous  establishment  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing.  She  spent  last  evening  in  explaining  to  me 
the  possibilities  open  to  a  person  with  my  advan 
tages.  But  I  mustn't  tell  tales  out  of  school.  Be 
sides  there's  a  great  deal  to  be  said  on  her  side  of 
the  question." 

"  Here  comes  the  lady  in  person,"  exclaimed  Wil 
loughby,  hearing  his  wife's  voice  in  the  hall. 

Mrs.  Willoughby  entered  with  wide-open  eyes. 
"Evelyn,"  she  said,  "who  do  you  suppose  wants  to 
see  you  ?  You  would  never  guess.  It's  that  dread 
ful  creature  De  Vito.  I  was  just  coming  down  the 
stairs  as  he  was  let  in.  Patterson  said  to  me  that  a 


FACE    TO  FACE.  3OI 

man  who  calls  himself  De  Vito  wished  to  see  Miss 
Pimlico.  What  do  you  imagine  he  has  corns  for  ? 
I  made  a  sign  to  Patterson  to  shut  the  inside  door 
and  told  him  not  to  leave  the  hall  until  I  returned. 
I'm  trembling  all  over.  The  idea  of  such  a  creature 
being  in  the  house  !" 

"  He  has  come  for  no  harm,  Cousin  Clara.  I  wrote" 
to  him  that  I  should  like  to  see  him,"  said  Evelyn. 

"  You  wrote  to  him  ?"  gasped  Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"  Yes,  or  rather  I  wrote  to  his  mother  to  ask  him 
to  come." 

"  It's  all  right,  my  dear,"  said  Willoughby  to  his 
wife.  Then  he  opened  the  door  and  addressed  the 
servant : 

"  Patterson,  show  Mr.  De  Vito  into  the  library 
and  say  that  Miss  Pimlico  will  see  him  presently." 

"  Into  the  library  ?  That  man  in  the  library  ! " 
cried  Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"  Evelyn  will  keep  an  eye  on  him,"  Willoughby 
answered,  with  a  smile. 

"  This  is  the  most  extraordinary  thing  I  ever 
heard  of.  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  are 
going  to  trust  this  child  in  the  library  alone  with 
that  wretch  ?  " 

"  I  think  she  can  take  care  of  herself,"  he  said. 
"  Ring  the  bell  in  case  you  should  happen  to  need 
anyone,"  he  added,  turning  to  Evelyn.  "  I  shall  be 
close  at  hand." 

"  This  caps  the  climax,"  groaned  Mrs.  Willoughby. 
"Ask  the  gentleman  to  stay  to  luncheon  by  all 
means." 


3O2  FACE    TO  FACE. 

This  parting  shot  followed  Evelyn  as  she  shut  the 
breakfast-room  door.  Her  heart  beat  a  little  quicker 
as  she  crossed  the  hall,  and  she  paused  an  instant 
before  pushing  aside  the  curtains  that  screened  the 
entrance  to  the  library.  Then  she  walked  resolutely 
in. 

De  Vito  was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  apart 
ment  leaning  against  a  table.  His  appearance  was 
tidier  than  when  she  had  seen  him  in  the  wood,  but 
there  was  much  of  the  same  sullen,  disdainful  look 
in  his  expression.  His  eyes  fell  as  they  met 
Evelyn's.  He  shifted  his  hat  uneasily  from  one 
hand  to  the  other  and  said  gruffly,  but  without  dis 
respect, 

"  You  wrote  mother  a  letter  that  you  wanted  to 
see  me." 

"  Yes.     Won't  you  take  a  seat  ? " 

He  hesitated  and  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  a  chair 
which  stood  beside  the  table. 

"  I  wished  to  tell  you,"  said  Evelyn,  "  how  sorry  I 
am  that  you  were  arrested  on  a  false  suspicion  of 
being  concerned  in  the  affair  at  Highlands." 

"  Men  are  jugged  for  less  every  day,"  he  answered 
sententiously.  "  It  might  just  as  well  have  been  I 
who  did  it."  he  added. 

"  I  don't  believe  you  could  ever  have  done  such  a 
thing,"  she  said,  quietly. 

He  looked  up  at  her  and  then  down  again,  scowled, 
and  shuffled  his  feet  in  a  nervous  fashion. 

Evelyn  said,  after  a  moment,  "  I  suppose  you  know 
that  Mr.  Brock  is  dead  ? " 


FACE    TO   FACE.  303 

De  Vito  nodded. 

"  And  that  I  am  now  the  principal  owner  of  the 
Wisabet  ? " 

"Yes,  lady." 

"  What  are  you  doing  at  present  ?  "  she  asked  ab 
ruptly. 

He  scowled  again  restlessly.  "  I'm  out  of  work. 
I'm  doing  nothing,"  he  said. 

"What  do  you  wish  to  do  ? " 

He  raised  his  eyes  and  answered  with  a  bitter 
laugh,  "  It's  only  the  like  of  you,  lady,  in  this 
world  who  can  do  what  they  wish." 

"  I  have  understood  that  you  were  interested  in 
machinery  and  were  clever  at  it,"  Evelyn  said  pres 
ently. 

He  looked  at  her  from  under  his  brows  in  a  puz 
zled  way.  "  I  ought  to  know  something  about  it ; 
I've  had  to  do  with  it  all  my  life,"  he  answered. 

"  You've  made  some  useful  inventions,  too,  I  be 
lieve  ?" 

"The  mill  choused  me  out  of  them." 

"  And  never  paid  you  for  them  ?  " 

"  They  paid  me  something,  but  not  nearly  so 
much  as  they  were  worth.  I  was  young  then  and 
didn't  appreciate  their  real  value,  and  I  needed  the 
money." 

He  brushed  his  hand  through  his  hair  impatiently, 
as  though  irritated  with  himself  for  having  deigned 
to  make  this  explanation.  But  Evelyn  was  too  busy 
with  her  own  thoughts  to  give  this  gesture  much 
keed. 


-  3°4  FACE    TO   FACE, 

"  What  is  your  age  now  ? "  she  asked. 

"  I'm  thirty." 

"  Were  you  born  in  this  country  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  You  have  some  foreign  blood,  have  you  not  ?" 

"My  mother's  family  were  Italians,"  he  answered. 

Evelyn  asked  these  questions  with  calm  directness, 
undismayed  by  the  fact  that  De  Vito's  responses 
seemed  wrenched  from  him  as  it  were.  But  he 
spoke  gently,  if  not  graciously,  though  avoiding 
her  gaze. 

"  And  your  father  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Was  he  an 
American  ? " 

He  darted  a  quick  angry  glance  at  her.  She  saw 
him  clinch  his  fingers.  Then  his  features  broke 
into  another  bitter  smile. 

"Yes,  my  father  was  an  American,"  he  said. 

"  Is  he  dead  ?  " 

"  I  never  saw  my  father,"  he  answered  slowly.  He 
looked  straight  at  Evelyn  and  said,  "  I  don't  know 
whether  he's  alive  or  dead.  He  was  one  of  your 
kind,  lady,  and  my  mother  wasn't  his  wife.  She  was 
a  factory  girl  when  he  met  her,  and  I'm  their  son." 

"  How  dreadful  !  "  she  said,  with  a  startled  ex 
pression  of  pain. 

"Yes,  it's  dreadful,  but  there's  a  deal  more  dread 
ful  things  than  that  in  the  world.  It's  no  uncommon 
thing  for  a  man  not  to  know  his  own  father.  What 
do  you  want  with  me  ?  Why  are  you  asking  me 
these  questions  ?  "  he  exclaimed,  with  sudden  fierce 
ness. 


FACE    TO   FACE.  3O5 

But  the  next  moment  he  seemed  to  recollect  him 
self,  for  he  muttered,  "  I  beg  your  pardon,  lady  ;  I 
suppose  you  mean  well." 

There  was  a  short  silence  before  Evelyn  replied. 
'•  I  had  a  reason  for  asking  you  the  questions.  You 
remember,  perhaps,  saying  to  me  the  first  time  we 
met  that  rich  people  were  ready  to  sign  subscription 
lists  and  to  bestow  broken  victuals,  but  that  in  other 
respects  they  were  apt  to  treat  the  so-called  lower 
classes  like  the  dirt  beneath  their  feet." 

"Yes,  I  said  so,"  he  answered,  in  response  to  the 
pause  she  made. 

"  I  have  thought  frequently  since  then  of  your  re 
mark,"  she  continued,  "and  I  believe  there  is  some 
truth  in  it.  There  is  too  wide  a  difference  between 
the  circumstances  of  the  rich  and  the  poor.  On 
that  day  when  I  met  you  in  the  wood,  I  was  poor 
myself.  Not  poor  as  you  would  understand  the 
word,  but  dependent  on  my  own  support,  neverthe 
less.  Since  then,  as  you  know,  I  have  come  into 
possession  of  a  large  fortune.  Accordingly  my  time 
is  my  own  to  employ  as  I  choose,  and  I  am  anxious 
to  try  the  experiment  of  drawing  rich  and  poor 
nearer  together.  But  I  cannot  accomplish  this 
alone.  I  need  help  ;  and  I  sent  to  you  because  I 
thought  you  might  be  able  to  help  me." 

De  Vito  looked  up  at  her  in  a  dazed  fashion.  "  I 
don't  know  what  you  mean,"  he  said. 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  answered  Evelyn.  "  I  intend  to 
make  my  home  at  Highlands  and  to  oversee,  so  far 
as  is  possible  for  a  woman,  the  management  of  the 

20 


3O6  FACE    TO  FACE. 

Wisabet  Manufacturing  Company.  I  own  already 
a  controlling  interest  in  the  stock  and  I've  given 
orders  to  have  every  outstanding  share  bought  and 
registered  in  my  name.  Then  I  want  you  to  come 
and  show  me  how  the  mill  should  be  conducted  so 
as  to  do  justice  to  all.  Will  you  do  this  ?  " 

A  flush  had  risen  to  De  Vito's  handsome  face. 
His  large  dark  eyes  sparkled. 

"  Me  ?    You  want  me  ?  "  he  faltered. 

"  Yes,  I  want  you  to  be  my  foreman,  my  superin 
tendent,"  she  said.  "You  have  ideas  about  these 
things.  You  will  be  able  to  point  out  to  me  the 
abuses  that  need  redressing.  I  have  no  practical 
knowledge  of  the  working  classes,  and  were  I  to  at 
tempt  to  carry  out  the  scheme  unaided,  I  should 
certainly  commit  blunders. 

"  This  is  no  sudden  impulse  of  mine,"  she  con 
tinued,  for  though  his  face  was  eloquent  with  inter 
est  he  did  not  speak.  . "  I  have  been  thinking  about 
it  ever  since  Mr.  Brock's  death.  It  may  sound  vis 
ionary  and  impracticable,  perhaps,"  she  added,  as  if 
combating  some  foresight  of  the  criticism  to  which 
she  would  be  subjected,  "  but  I  am  determined  to 
make  the  attempt.  I  have  as  yet,  however,  ar 
ranged  merely  the  general  outline  of  the  plan.  In 
selecting  you  as  my  assistant  I  will  say  frankly  that 
I  am  acting  on  my  own  instincts.  Whatever  else 
you  may  be,  I  feel  sure  you  are  in  earnest,  and  that 
you  have  force  and  will.  Your  employers  had  no 
complaint  to  make  against  you  except  that  you  were 
discontented.  I  am  willing  to  assume  that  you  had 


FACE    TO  FACE. 

cause  for  discontent.  But  there  is  one  question  I 
should  like  to  ask  you  before  we  proceed  further. 
It  was  you,  was  it  not,  whose  face  I  saw  at  the  win 
dow  of  the  library  at  Highlands  on  the  evening  be 
fore  the  house  was  broken  into  ?  " 

"Yes,"  he  answered,  while  the  blood  rose  to  his 
cheeks,  "it  was  I." 

"  And  why  were  you  there  ?  I  wish  to  know  the 
truth." 

"  You  think  I  came  to  steal,"  he  said. 

"  Heaven  forbid.  Do  you  suppose  I  would  have 
made  you  the  proposition  I  have  if  I  thought  that  ? " 
she  asked  with  energy. 

He  seemed  to  hesitate.  Then  he  replied.  "  It 
was  you  I  came  to  see,  lady.  I  could  not  forget 
your  face.  I  had  never  seen  any  one  so  beauti 
ful." 

Evelyn's  surprise  was  so  great  that  she  blushed 
vividly.  His  voice  and  manner  told  her  that  he  had 
spoken  the  truth.  "  Thank  you,"  she  said  simply. 

Somehow  during  the  conversation  between  them 
De  Vito's  appearance  and  demeanor  had  changed. 
At  first  shabby,  sullen,  and  ungainly  he  had  become 
dignified  and  animated.  His  very  apparel  seemed 
to  have  acquired  some  degree  of  spruceness  from 
his  awakened  self-respect. 

"  You  have  not  answered  my  first  question  yet  ? 
Are  you  ready  to  help  me  ? "  Evelyn  asked  after  a 
moment's  silence. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  am  ready  to  help  you.     But — " 

"But  what?" 


3O8  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"You  said  just  now  that  you  felt  sure  I  was  in 
earnest.  I  am  in  earnest.  You  said  that  I  had  ideas 
about  these  matters  of  which  we  are  speaking.  You 
were  right.  I  have  thought  about  them  for  years. 
They  have  been  in  my  mind  night  and  day.  Every 
hour  of  my  life  I  curse  the  bitter  injustice  which 
makes  slaves  of  two-thirds  of  mankind." 

"Well  ?  "  she  said  earnestly. 

"  I  am  a  radical,  you  see — a  socialist — anything 
which  will  bring  about  a  change.  For  such  as  you 
it  is  well  enough  to  live,  but  for  those  who  live  as  I 
live  it  is  preferable  to  die.  And  sooner  or  later  a 
change  has  got  to  come,"  he  cried,  with  a  fierce  joy. 
"  /  may  be  dead  as  a  dog  before  it  comes,  but  it  is 
only  a  question  of  time.  Two-thirds  against  one- 
third.  Nine-tenths  rather  against  one-tenth.  The 
avalanche  is  on  the  move.  I  can  hear  its  approach 
already.  My  only  prayer  to  God — if  there  is  a  God 
— is  that  it  may  move  faster.  Help  you  ?  "  he  ex 
claimed.  "  I  will  help  you  if  you  want  me.  But 
now  you  know  what  I  am.  You  know  what  you 
have  to  expect.  I  have  warned  you." 

His  eyes  shone  with  zeal  and  passion.  Evelyn 
had  turned  pale.  Her  lips  were  compressed.  She 
sat  with  her  hands  tightly  clasped  in  her  lap. 

"  Perhaps  I  also  am  a  radical,  a  socialist,"  she 
said.  "  I  do  not  know  what  I  am.  These  thoughts 
and  ideas  are  new  to  me.  I  am  seeking  to  under 
stand  what  is  just  and  right.  I  cannot  judge  yet  as 
to  how  far  I  shall  agree  with  you.  But  I  am  not 
afraid,"  she  added,  looking  steadily  at  him. 


FACE    TO   FACE.  309 

He  had  risen  under  the  influence  of  his  excite 
ment,  and  stood  with  folded  arms. 

"Just  and  right,"  he  murmured.  He  made  some 
paces  up  and  down  the  room,  then  halted  in  front  of 
her.  "  You  say,  lady,  you  want  to  try  to  bring  rich 
and  poor  together.  It's  like  mixing  oil  and  water. 
But  it  mightn't  be  if  there  were  more  like  you.  I'm 
bitter  may  be,  and  soured.  I  haven't  much  to  be 
grateful  to  the  world  for.  But  I'm  grateful  to  you. 
And  I'll  work  for  you,  too.  You've  offered  me  a 
trial ;  why  shouldn't  I  believe  in  you  ?  You're  ready 
to  meet  us  half  way.  That's  fair.  We're  not  un 
reasonable.  Give  us  a  chance  is  all  we  ask.  When 
do  you  want  me  to  begin  ? "  he  added. 

"  I  will  send  you  word  in  a  few  days,"  she  an 
swered. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said,  decidedly. 

A  moment  later  De  Vito  took  his  departure. 


XV. 

rTvWO  years  later  Mrs.  Willoughby  Pimlico  wrote 
1       the  following  letter  to  Ernest  Clay  at  Paris. 

MY  DEAR  MR.  CLAY  : 

I  received  a  visit  from  your  mother  yesterday. 
She  spoke  of  you  and  said,  "Write  to  Ernest  and 
find  out  what  he  is  doing.  His  letters  are  so  vague." 
She  tells  me  you  are  at  Paris  and  studying,  but  that 
is  all  she  knows  apparently.  All  anybody  knows, 
for  I  have  questioned  right  and  left  among  those 
freshly  returned  from  the  other  side,  only  to  meet 
with  one.  response,  "  Ernest  Clay  ?  Is  At  in  Paris  ? 
No  one,  then,  ever  sees  him."  Voila,  my  mission. 
Time  was  when  I  had  not  needed  to  apologize  to 
you  for  writing,  or  rather  you  would  have  written 
to  me  of  your  own  accord,  and  disclosed  so  much 
that  I  could  have  guessed  the  rest.  But  that  was 
long  ago.  I  am  not  complaining,  merely  reminis 
cencing,  if  there  is  such  a  word.  Besides,  I  am  too 
proud  to  admit  that  I  feel  neglected.  It  is  in  your 
mother's  name  I  ask,  what  are  you  doing  ?  Why 
are  you  staying  away  so  long  ?  Why  did  you  go 
away  at  all  ?  When  do  you  mean  to  return  home  ? 
Explain  how  you  pass  your  time  ;  send  me  a  list  of 
your  friends  and  books  ;  in  short,  account  for  your 
self. 

Do  you  realize  that  two  years  have  slipped  away 
since  you  left  home  ?  How  time  flies  !  Frankly 
though,  I  have  missed  you.  Am  I  not  magnani- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  311 

wous  ?  Perhaps  I  am  growing  old,  and  am  bored 
more  easily  than  formerly,  but  somehow,  the  men 
who  are  springing  up  nowadays  have  very  little  to 
say  for  themselves.  After  all,  argue  as  one  will, 
one  demands  ideas.  And  you  used  to  have  ideas. 
Vou  were  odd  and  visionary  sometimes  ;  you  had  a 
way  of  going  off  at  a  tangent  on  a  transcendental 
hobby  :  but,  on  the  whole,  your  place  has  not  been 
easy  to  supply.  I  get  along,  of  course.  One  has  to 
get  along.  But  I  find  myself  occasionally  behind 
the  times.  I  am  obliged  to  pretend  to  have  read 
books,  and  to  sham  enlightenment  on  the  silver 
question,  and  the  tariff,  etc.,  which  was  never  the 
case  when  you  were  here  to  drop  in  at  five  o'clock 
tea  and  post  me.  I  can  imagine  you,  as  you  read 
this,  reflecting  once  more  that  I  am  superficial.  • 
You  have  never  told  me  so  in  precise  terms,  but  I 
have  seen  what  you  thought  time  and  again  in  your 
eyes.  I  suppose  I  am  superficial,  but  how  is  one  to 
avoid  being  superficial  in  these  busy  times?  There 
is  so  much  to  do,  and  if  one  gets  a  chance  to  read 
there  are  so  many  books  to  choose  from.  If  only 
the  world  would  stand  still  a  moment  and  let  people 
catch  up  with  it !  But  alas  !  it  goes  on,  day  after 
day,  faster  than  ever,  so  that  sometimes  I  think  I 
will  give  up  in  despair,  and  not  try  to  know  any 
thing. 

It  is  not  about  me,  however,  that  you  wish  infor 
mation.  I  am  all  very  well  ;  but  there  is  another 
who,  I  am  aware,  in  your  estimation  will  never  be 
superficial.  Seriously,  to  this  day,  I  feel  a  pang 
whenever  I  think  of  what  might  have  been.  You 
seemed  so  completely  fitted  to  one  another,  that  I 
have  been  unable  to  reconcile  myself  to  your  failing 
to  come  together.  Why  did  you  go  abroad  ?  And 
yet,  I  do  not  know  what  reason  I  have  for  asking 
that  question,  that  is,  any  reason  I  can  define.  Once 


312  FACE    TO   FACE. 

or  twice  I  have  thought  I  would  write  and  say 
"Come;"  and  then  I  have  been  deterred  from  doing 
so,  by  the  consciousness  that  I  know  nothing  of 
Evelyn's  real  feelings.  For  the  matter  of  that,  I 
don't  know  yours.  It  may  be,  she  has  long  ceased 
to  affect  your  peace  of  mind.  But  no,  I  will  not 
wrong  you  by  the  suspicion.  You  are  one  of  the 
few  men  who  never  forget — at  least,  that  is  my  idea 
of  you.  Am  I  mistaken  ?  As  for  her,  she  grows  a 
greater  enigma  and  mystery  to  me  every  day.  I 
wonder  what  you  would  think  of  her  if  you  were  to 
see  her  now.  Of  course  you  have  heard  of  what 
she  has  done.  This  you  may  feel  sure  of,  if  it  will 
be  any  comfort  to  you,  she  is  in  love  with  no  one 
else  ;  unless,  indeed, — but  no,  such  a  supposition  is 
too  utterly  absurd  to  be  entertained  for  an  instant. 
That  would  be  the  coup  de grace.  I  only  mention  it 
— or  rather,  hint  at  it — to  show  how  helpless  I  feel 
when  I  attempt  to  predict  what  she  will  or  will  not  do 
next.  If  anyone,  three  years  ago,  had  prophesied 
that  Evelyn  would  to-day  be  what  she  is  I  should 
have  set  the  person  down  as  crazy. 

And  yet  if  it  were  not  for  the  dreadful  outlandish- 
ness  of  the  whole  business,  and  the  fact  that  she  is 
thereby  isolated  from  everything  and  everybody 
with  which  she  has  hitherto  been  associated,  I  could 
readily  understand  that  there  might  be  a  certain 
fascination  in  what  she  has  undertaken.  I  think  it 
highly  probable,  that  you  admire  her  for  it  all  the 
more.  Well,  so  in  a  certain  sense  do  I,  of  course. 
Or  rather,  I  should  say,  I  respect  her  ;  for,  reasoning 
from  a  practical  standpoint,  I  don't  exactly  see  what 
it  can  all  lead  to.  In  one  sense  it's  undoubtedly 
very  noble  for  her  to  try  to  bridge  over  the  gulf 
between  the  rich  and  poor,  and  when  one  thinks  of 
all  the  suffering  that  goes  on,  and  of  the  terrible 
discrepancy  between  the  circumstances  of  people 


FACE    TO   FACE.  313 

in  our  class,  and  of  those  who  work  in  factories  and 
live  in  the  slums,  one  cannot  help  feeling  almost 
guilty.  But  there  have  been  rich  and  poor  since 
time  began  and  must  be,  it  seems  to  me,  so  long  as 
the  world  lasts.  Of  course  New  York  is  all  agog 
about  her,  and  I  am  pestered  to  death  with  ques 
tions.  A  great  many  people  are  inclined  to  laugh, 
and  the  business  men  say  "  it  will  be  very  well  so 
long  as  the  money  lasts."  The  trouble  is  the  whole 
scheme  is  too  Utopian,  too  widely  unpractical,  to  ap 
peal  to  common  sense.  One  cannot  alter  the  ways 
of  the  world.  You  can't  make  a  silk  purse  out  of  a 
sow's  ear,  as  the  saying  is  ;  and  there's  no  use  in 
trying  to  maintain  that  a  street  laborer  is  the  social 
equal  of  you  or  me,  for  he  isn't  and  never  can  be. 
That,  at  least,  is  my  view.  I  believe  in  being  con 
siderate  and  generous  toward  the  poor,  and  I  make 
a  point  of  subscribing  to  all  deserving  charities,  but 
I  fail  to  see  why  I  am  called  upon  to  make  myself 
miserable  merely  because  others  are  miserable. 
What  these  socialists  want,  so  far  as  I  can  discover, 
is  that  we  should  give  up  everything  that  is  beau 
tiful  and  delightful  in  existence,  and  live  pell-mell 
together,  sharing  everything  in  common.  I  don't 
mean  that  Evelyn  is  a  socialist  yet.  I  will  do  her 
the  justice  to  say  that  her  house  is  charming,  and  I 
can  vouch  for  her  cook.  But  what  she  may  de 
velop  into  under  the  influence  of  the  egregious, 
bizarre  individual  who  is  her  chief  counsellor  at 
present  I  should  not  dare  to  prognosticate. 

Only  to  think  of  her  picking  out  that  man  De 
Vito  of  all  others  !  You  remember  him,  of  course — 
the  striker  who  was  so  impertinent  to  her  in  the 
wood,  and  who  was  seen  peering  into  the  dining- 
room  window  at  Highlands.  To  be  sure,  it  has 
turned  out  that  he  was  not  the  robber  who  broke 
into  the  house,  but  that  is  scarcely  a  reason  for 


314  FACE   TO  FACE. 

makmg  him  a  superintendent.  The  first  I  knew  oi 
what  she  proposed  to  do  was  his  appearance  at  the 
front  door,  by  express  invitation  of  Evelyn.  I  sup 
posed  he  had  come  to  murder  us  all,  and  if  I  could 
have  had  my  way,  I  would  have  rung  for  a  police 
man  ;  but  Willotighby,  who,  you  will  be  surprised 
to  hear,  has  developed  an  intense  admiration  for 
Evelyn's  independence,  as  he  calls  it,  insisted  on 
the  ex-striker  being  shown  into  the  library,  and 
treated  with  distinguished  consideration. 

However,  unpromising  as  the  outlook  was  (and  I 
am  by  no  means  yet  free  from  the  dread  of  reading 
in  the  newspaper  any  morning  that  De  Vito  has 
chopped  off  her  head  with  an  axe),  he  has  certainly 
undergone  a  remarkable  transformation  since  I  saw 
him  first,  for  I  couldn't  help  peeping  out  at  him 
from  behind  the  curtains,  when  he  left  the  house 
on  the  day  which  I  have  alluded  to.  I  had  never 
seen  a  striker,  and  since  I  had  heard  so  much  about 
De  Vito,  I  was  curious  as  to  what  he  looked  like. 
I  was  scarcely  prepared  though  for  such  a  bandit- 
like  appearance.  He  is  decidedly  handsome  and 
striking,  but  he  had  a  w\\di  farouche  air,  which  to  say 
the  least  was  not  reassuring.  Then,  too,  he  was 
unkempt  and  what  I  should  call  seedy.  "  Mercy," 
I  said  to  myself,  when  Evelyn  informed  me  of  her 
determination,  "what  a  simply  inexplicable  selec 
tion  ! " 

Accordingly  I  xvas  very  much  surprised  last  week, 
when  I  went  to  pass  a  day  or  two  with  Evelyn,  to 
find  what  a  really  presentable  personage  he  has 
grown  to  be.  He  is  good-looking  as  ever,  but  has 
quite  lost  that  dogged,  sullen  expression  which  was 
formerly  so  noticeable.  He  has  cut  his  hair  and 
trimmed  his  eyebrows  and  spruced  himself  gener 
ally.  His  manner,  too,  has  become  dignified  and  al 
most  deliberate.  He  is  evidently  a  thinker  and  ab- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  315 

sorbed  heart  and  soul  in  the  undertaking.  Perhaps 
[  should  cease  to  feel  apprehensive  regarding  him 
if  it  were  not  for  his  eyes.  They  are  like  flames 
whenever  he  is  interested  in  anything.  I  presume 
he  gets  them  from  his  Italian  mother.  I  dare  say 
you  are  not  aware  that  there  is  a  nuance  enveloping 
his  early  history.  On  dit  that  his  father  was  a  gen 
tleman.  But  nothing  more  than  the  bare  fact  is 
hinted  at.  He  has  a  wicked  way  of  looking  at  people 
he  does  not  like,  and  I  am  one  of  them.  He  disap 
proves  of  rue  entirely.  He  considers  me  the  arch 
enemy  of  his  cause.  While  at  Highlands  I  took  es 
pecial  care  to  lock  and  bolt  my  door  at  night  and  to 
shove  the  sofa  against  it  as  an  extra  precaution, 
for  fear  the  whim  might  come  into  his  head  to 
rid  the  world  of  such  a  good-for-nothing.  You 
should  see,  on  the  other  hand,  how  he  dotes  on 
Evelyn.  He  cannot  do  enough  for  her  and  he 
follows  her  about  like  a  tame  bear ;  but  he  has 
opinions  of  his  own,  and  every  now  and  then  they 
have  long  discussions  together  in  regard  to  the  de 
velopment  of  their  project.  But  although  Evelyn 
listens  attentively  to  every  word  he  says  and  con 
sults  him  on  all  occasions,  she  is  still  her  own  mis 
tress.  She  is  the  leading  spirit,  and  so  far  he  is  only 
secondary.  But  I  ask  myself  when  I  think  of  his 
eyes  how  long  that  condition  of  affairs  is  likely  to 
last.  He  will  not  be  content  with  any  such  pro 
gramme  as  Evelyn  has  in  mind.  That  is  a  mere 
sop.  He  is  biding  his  time.  And  yet,  as  I  have 
just  stated,  Evelyn  has  an  immense  influence  over 
him.  She  seems  to  affect  him  just  as  a  magnet  does 
a  bit  of  iron.  You  must  not,  however,  get  an  erro 
neous  impression  of  De  Vito.  My  description  of  him 
was  based  purely  on  the  contrast  between  what  he 
is  now,  and  what  he  was  two  years  ago.  You  need 
not  picture  him  as  a  pattern  of  gentlemanly  depart- 


FACE    TO   FACE. 

ment  and  elegant  manners.  Indeed,  he  would  doubt 
less  be  deeply  offended  by  any  such  delineation. 
He  is  rough  and  unpolished  in  spite  of  his  pictu- 
resqueness.  If  the  story  concerning  his  parentage 
be  true,  one  would  never  suspect  it  from  his  appear 
ance  or  behavior.  In  dress,  language,  and  bearing 
he  still  suggests  merely  the  ouvrier. 

Evelyn,  looking  the  picture  of  health,  met  us  at  the 
station.  Her  life  agrees  with  her,  at  any  rate.  She 
is  handsomer  than  ever.  She  was  becomingly 
dressed,  also,  to  my  great  relief,  for  I  had  not  felt 
sure  what  innovations  in  the  way  of  costume  she 
might  have  been  led  to  adopt.  But,  as  I  have  al 
ready  given  you  to  understand,  her  new  surround 
ings  seem  to  have  affected  her  personal  habits  very 
little,  if  at  all.  The  house  and  grounds  look  more 
attractive  even  than  in  poor  Mr.  Brock's  time, 
though  I  can't  help  feeling  that  De  Vito  would  be 
better  pleased  if  they  were  given  up  to  the  rabble 
from  the  town.  I  wandered  over  to  "  Seven  Oaks." 
Your  aged  servitor  has  lost  his  wife  and  is  so  feeble 
that  he  must  soon  follow  her.  He  asked  after  you 
and  said  he  prayed  every  night  that  you  might  come 
home  before  he  died.  How  faithful  such  creatures 
often  are  ! 

The  greatest  change  is  in  the  town  itself.  Liter 
ally  there  are  now  two  towns,  which  I  amused  my 
self  by  calling  your  town  and  Evelyn's  town.  The 
operatives  in  the  Clyme  Valley  mill,  in  which  you 
I  believe  are  largely  interested,  live  just  as  they  did 
formerly.  The  manager — the  same  Mr.  Storrs  who 
was  Mr.  Brock's  right-hand  man  and  whom  your 
board  of  directors,  as  of  course  you  know,  engaged 
after  he  was  dismissed  by  Evelyn — makes  fun  of 
the  "  new-fangled  notions  "  and  predicts  openly  that 
the  failure  of  the  VVisabet  Company  is  merely  a 
question  of  time.  The  two  mills  are  pitted  against 


FACE    TO   FACE.  3 1/ 

each  other  and  even  De  Vito  admits  that  the  Clyme 
Valley  is  doing  an  enormous  business.  I  asked  Eve 
lyn  (by  way  of  sounding  her  feelings  in  regard  to 
you)  why  she  didn't  write  and  obtain  your  co-opera 
tion  ;  but  she  tells  me  that  before  you  left  home,  you 
resigned  as  director  of  the  Clyme  Valley  and  that 
the  rest  of  the  board  strongly  support  Mr.  Storrs 
Willoughby  says  that  as  you  own  a  controlling  iu- 
terest  in  the  stock  you  could  choose  your  own  di 
rectors  another  year.  But,  needless  to  observe,  you 
know  best  what  you  wish  to  do.  I  dare  say  you 
may  consider  Evelyn's  ideas  all  moonshine  and  pre 
fer  to  let  things  remain  as  they  are.  I  certainly  do. 
But  knowing  your  interest  in  her,  and  that  you  were 
somewhat  inclined  yourself  to  be  a  trifle  Quixotic  at 
times,  it  occurred  to  me  that  you  might  not  realize 
exactly  the  position  of  things. 

The  part  of  the  town  where  Evelyn's  operatives 
live  has  undergone  on  the  other  hand  a  most,  aston 
ishing  change.  Rows  of  pretty,  charming  little 
cottages,  each  with  a  patch  of  land  in  front  and  sup 
plied  with  every  facility,  as  regards  light  and  air, 
have  taken  the  place  of  blocks  of  dingy  tenements. 
I  went  over  some  of  them,  and  they  are  really  sweet. 
Quite  too  good,  in  fact,  for  the  class  of  people  who 
occupy  them.  I  must  say,  however,  that  I  was  grat 
ified  to  see  that  a  good  many  of  the  tenants  appeared 
to  be  desirous  of  keeping  everything  neat  and  clean  ; 
some  of  them  seemed  also  to  enjoy  making  their 
little  gardens  look  attractive.  But  Evelyn  admitted 
to  me  that  there  were  many  who  were  completely 
slatternly  and  tasteless.  As  I  said  to  her,  what  can 
one  expect  of  people  who  have  been  accustomed  to 
live  very  little  better  than  the  pigs  themselves  ? 
A  new  system  of  drainage  has  been  introduced — 
though  the  hostility  of  the  other  company  is  an  ob 
stacle  to  sanitary  progress — and  Evelyn  is  racking 


FACE    TO   FACE. 

her  brain  over  rival  methods  of  "assimilating  sew 
age  "  and  other  "  hygienic  "  processes.  You  ought 
to  see  her  library-table.  It  is  covered  with  pam 
phlets  and  ponderous  tomes  relating  to  political 
economy,  labor  questions,  and  so  forth. 

The  Company  built  these  cottages,  and  has,  I  be 
lieve,  allowed  the  operatives  to  buy  them  and  mort 
gage  them  back  on  easy  terms.  The  operatives 
have  an  interest  also  in  the  business  proportionate 
to  the  amount  of  their  wages.  Everything  is  being 
done  to  raise  the  tone  of  the  place  intellectually  and 
morally,  and  physically,  and  Evelyn  makes  a  point 
of  having  the  library  and  reading-rooms  and  concert- 
room  free  of  access  to  the  people  out  of  her  employ 
on  the  same  terms  as  to  those  in  it.  The  intention  is 
to  conduct  the  whole  scheme  on  a  strictly  business 
basis,  butgood  judges  open  their  eyes  when  they  hear 
of  the  outlay  that  is  being  made.  You  know  that  al 
though  Evelyn  has  relinquished  the  management  of 
the  bulk  of  her  fortune  to  competent  lawyers  in  New 
York,  she  has  complete  control  over  it  and  can 
spend  it  as  rapidly  as  she  sees  fit.  All  these  im 
provements  must  involve  a  frightful  expense,  and  I 
don't  see  how  she  can  expect  to  compete  with  the 
other  company,  which  is  conducted  by  experienced 
manufacturers.  De  Vito  is  indefatigable  and  is  said 
to  be  an  excellent  superintendent  ;  but  one  would 
never  know  that  anything  was  wrong  until  the  crash 
came.  I  expect  that  Evelyn  has  already  made  a  con 
siderable  drain  on  her  capital,  although,  to  be  sure, 
fifteen  millions  are  not  easily  exhausted.  But  I 
can't  help  feeling  that  sooner  or  later  she  will  have 
the  experience  and  somebody  else  the  money,  as  the 
saying  is.  There  is  nothing,  for  instance,  to  pre 
vent  this  man  De  Vito  from  playing  false  and  run 
ning  off  at  any  time  with  a  million  or  two.  I  don't 
say  he  will  ;  but  what  is  to  prevent  him  ? 


TO  FAC£.  310 

How  it  is  all  going  to  end  is  quite  incomprehen 
sible  to  me.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Evelyn 
is  very  much  in  earnest.  I  should  think  she  would 
be  worn  out  by  her  interviews  with  Knights  of 
Labor,  and  radicals  and  socialists  and  every  sort  of 
person  with  queer  fish  to  fry,  who  call  to  see  her. 
She  has  a  private  secretary — a  Vassar  graduate  with 
oleaginous  curls  which  make  one  crawl — to  answer 
the  array  of  communications  she  receives.  As  I 
have  already  stated,  I  can  understand  that  there 
must  be  more  or  less  satisfaction  in  being  at  the 
head  of  a  large  enterprise,  if  one  had  the  taste  for 
it,  and  sufficient  health  ;  but  the  more  I  regard  this 
whole  matter  of  Evelyn's  the  more  fatally  foolish 
does  it  seem  to  me,  for  the  reason  that  it  can  lead 
to  nothing.  What  can  one  girl  do  against  the 
world  ?  Some  day  her  money  will  be  spent,  and 
then  where  will  she  be  ?  In  the  meantime,  she 
is  passing  the  best  years  of  her  life  among  ignorant 
and  squalid  people  who  are  trying  to  get  all  they 
can  out  of  her.  She  may  cause  a  stir  for  a  little 
while,  and  a  certain  number  of  enthusiasts  may  clap 
their  hands  ;  but  not  many  years  will  elapse  before 
she  realizes  that  she  is  pursuing  a  phantom.  Then 
everybody  will  laugh,  and  she  will  find  herself  on 
the  verge  of  middle  life,  separated  from  her  natural 
associates  aud  regarded  as  peculiar. 

This  may  sound  a  little  severe,  but  I  have  said 
practically  the  same  thing  to  Evelyn.  Oh,  Mr. 
Clay,  isn't  there  any  way  to  wean  her  from  this  non 
sense  ?  You  must  see  with  me  that  it  can  lead  to 
nothing.  The  business  men  are  all  against  her — at 
least  those  whose  opinions  carry  most  weight.  In 
dependence  and  originality  are  one  thing,  but  I  call 
this  overstepping  the  bounds  of  common  sense.  I 
could  write  in  a  similar  strain  for  hours,  and  I  dare 
say  that  so  long  as  I  wrote  about  Evelyn  you  would 


320  FACE    TO   FACE. 

be  content  to  read.  My  only  hope  is  in  you.  That 
is  to  say,  I  can't  wholly  persuade  myself  that  she 
doesn't  in  her  heart  of  hearts  care  for  you.  I'm 
very  much  attached  to  Evelyn,  and  I  hate  to  see  her 
throw  herself  away.  Her  family  are  simply  frantic 
on  the  subject,  though  of  course  the  handsome  re 
mittance  she  sent  home  prevents  their  interfering 
actively.  Some  malicious  person  saw  fit  to  mail  to 
her  father  a  newspaper  containing  an  account  of 
the  "  new  departure  nt  Clyme  Valley,"  with  a  "pen- 
picture"  of  the  "  fascinating  young  philanthropist." 
I  can  imagine  his  blood  running  cold  as  he  read  the 
description.  Even  Willoughby,  who  has  been  dis 
posed  to  let  her  have  her  head,  as  he  calls  it,  is  be 
ginning  to  shake  his  own  ;  though  to  be  sure,  he 
thinks  there  is  nobody  like  Evelyn  in  the  world. 
And  of  course  I  think  the  same  thing.  She  is  a 
noble  girl.  That's  why  I  feel  so  badly  nt  her  be 
havior.  If  she  wants  to  do  good,  there  are  plenty 
of  other  ways  besides  the  one  she  has  chosen. 

But  I  must  stop  here.  I  have  laid  the  case  before 
you,  and  you  know  now  all  there  is  to  know.  Of 
course,  if  she  were  to  marry,  she  would  have  to  come 
to  her  senses.  At  least  her  husband  would  not 
allow  her  to  make  ducks  and  drakes  of  her  fortune. 
Have  you  heard  of  the  dreadful  accident  to  Marian 
Bydoon  ?  Her  horse  fell  with  her  during  a  very  ex^ 
citing  brush  with  Isabel  Slatterly,  and  she  broke 
her  nose.  It  (I  mean  the  nose)  has  been  set,  but  it 
looks  askew,  and  you  remember  Marian's  nose  was 
her  best  feature.  I  must  dress  for  dinner,  so  no 
more,  from 

Yours  always  sincerely, 

CLARA  PIMLICO. 


XVI. 

ONE  morning,  about  a  year  subsequent  to  the  date 
of  Mrs.  Willoughby's  letter,  Evelyn  was  sitting 
at  her  desk  in  the  library  at  Highlands  with  a  pile 
of  letters  and  papers  before  her.  She  had  been  ex 
amining  them,  but  at  the  moment  her  cheek  rested 
upon  her  hand,  and  she  was  thinking.  At  the  other 
side  of  the  room,  warming  himself  at  the  fire,  stood 
De  Vito,  who  had  just  come  in,  as  was  his  daily  habit 
at  this  hour,  to  consult  with  his  mistress.  He  was 
gazing  at  her  with  a  troubled  air,  for  her  expres 
sion  was  worried  and  despondent. 

"  I  feel  discouraged,"  said  Evelyn  presently. 
"  We  are  losing  money  more  rapidly  every  day. 
My  lawyers  write  that  at  this  rate  my  property  will 
be  exhausted  in  five  years." 

"  Yes,  we  are  losing  money.  There  is  no  ques 
tion  as  to  that,"  he  answered. 

"  It  is  not  on  account  of  the  loss  of  the  money 
that  I  care,"  she  continued.  "  But  I  cannot  bear 
the  idea  of  our  scheme  failing.  When  the  money 
was  gone,  we  should  have  to  shut  down  the  works 
and  dismiss  the  hands.  You  and  I  would  each  have 
to  begin  life  over  again.  Some  capitalist  would  buy 
the  mill  at  a  discount,  and  conduct  it  on  the  same 
21 


322  FACE    TO  FACE. 

principle  as  the  Clyme  Valley  Company  is  conduct 
ed,  to  enrich  the  rich  at  the  expense  of  the  poor." 

"  I  have  done  all  that  mortal  man  could  do  to 
make  the  business  pay,  Miss  Pimlico.  But  two  and 
two  won't  make  five.  There's  no  use  in  competing 
against  starvation  prices  of  labor — at  least,  not  in 
competing  after  our  fashion." 

"You  have  indeed  done  everything,  De  Vito,  that 
could  be  done.  You  have  worked  night  and  day. 
The  trouble,"  she  said,  sadly,  "is  that  everyone  is 
against  us.  It  seems  as  if  it  were  not  possible  to  be 
both  just  and  prosperous.  It's  madness,  however, 
to  go  on  as  we  have  been  going.  We  cannot  possi 
bly  manufacture  as  low  as  the  Clyme  Valley  and 
give  the  wages  we  do.  Our  people  moreover  are 
discontented.  I  had  promised  them  a  share  of  the 
profits.  But  there  are  no  profits.  They  would 
scarcely  expect  me  to  deduct  their  proportion  of 
the  losses  from  their  pay." 

"  That  would  be  logical  enough,  but  they  would 
be  ruined  if  you  did,"  he  answered,  grimly. 

"But  my  ruin  must  be  their  ruin  in  the  end. 
They  will  have  to  vacate  their  pretty  cottages  and 
seek  work  elsewhere.  They  will  go  back  to  poison 
ous  drainage,  fetid  atmosphere,  and  pleasureless  ex 
istences.  I  am  not  content  merely  to  be  charitable. 
I  hoped  to  be  able  to  conduct  the  mill  on  a  paying 
basis  at  the  same  time  that  I  made  the  circum 
stances  of  the  operatives  a  little  more  tolerable.  I 
was  willing  that  my  profits  should  be  less  in  order 
that  those  unhappy  creatures  might  be  elevated." 


PACE   TO  FACE. 

"  I  promised  to  help  you  and  I  have,"  said  De 
Vito.  "  But  what  chance  of  success  had  we  against 
those  blood-sucking  cormorants  yonder  ?  It  was 
their  policy  to  beat  us  if  they  could  and  they're 
bound  to  do  it,  if  they  have  to  cut  down  wages 
lower  than  they  are  to-day." 

"Our  most  serious  outlays  for  the  present  are 
over,"  continued  Evelyn,  "but  at  present  prices  we 
can't  help  falling  steadily  behind.  Something  must 
be  done.  It  breaks  my  heart  to  think  of  turning 
back,  but  I've  no  right  to  fritter  away  my  property. 
If  the  world  is  against  me  I  had  better  stop  before 
the  means  of  even  being  charitable  is  taken  away 
from  me.  Fifteen  millions  is  a  large  sum,  but  one 
might  stand  and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  and  after  a  few 
ripples  the  sea  would  look  unsatisfied  and  relentless 
as  ever.  That  is  all  the  effect  our  endeavor  seems 
to  be  having  on  the  sea  of  trade.  It  absorbs  what 
we  are  willing  to  cast  into  it,  and  is  greedy  for 
more.  But  this  must  not  continue.  I  believe  that 
one  of  the  first  of  human  duties  is  to  keep  what  one 
has.  If  I  did  not  believe  so,  I  should  be  tempted 
to  revenge  myself  upon  the  Clyme  Valley  by  under 
selling  its  prices  at  no  matter  what  loss.  My  capi 
tal  is  larger  than  its  capital — three  times  as  large  in 
fact.  We  could  drive  its  goods  out  of  the  market 
and  force  the  directors  to  come  to  equitable  terms." 

"Yes,  at  the  cost  of  a  few  millions  more.  But 
the  Clyme  Valley  is  only  one  of  a  thousand  mills." 

"Very  true.  Before  another  six  months  were 
passed  we  should  be  face  to  face  with  the  wolves 


$24  FACE    TO   FACE. 

again.  I  have  thought  it  all  over  time  and  again," 
she  said  with  a  sigh. 

"  There  is  only  one  way  out  of  this,"  exclaimed 
De  Vito. 

Evelyn  looked  at  him  interrogatively. 

"The  way  to  rid  the  world  of  wolves  is  to  throttle 
them,  not  to  parley  with  them,"  he  said  with  quick 
decision. 

He  was  standing  with  his  back  to  the  hearth.  In 
appearance  he  had  grown  maturer  and  he  was  more 
deliberate  in  manner,  but  his  face  still  suggested  a 
nature  prone  to  kindle  under  the  influence  of  un 
usual  circumstances. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ? "  she  asked. 

"  I  mean  " —  he  paused  and  gave  a  gulp  as  though 
to  exercise  control  over  himself — "  I  mean  that  if  I 
say  the  word,  the  Clyme  Valley  stops  to-morrow." 

Evelyn  faintly  shook  her  head. 

"  It  ought  to  have  stopped  a  year  ago,"  he  con 
tinued.  "  It  would  have  stopped,  had  I  not  felt 
bound  to  you  to  try  every  other  measure  first.  Now 
there  is  nothing  else  left  to  try." 

"  What  use  would  a  strike  be  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Just 
as  in  the  case  I  proposed,  you  would  be  biting  off 
your  own  noses  in  the  end.  It  would  cripple  the 
Clyme  Valley  for  the  moment,  but  in  a  few  weeks, 
or  months  at  furthest,  workmen  would  be  found  to 
take  the  places  of  those  whom  you  had  tolled  away. 
Then  the  Brotherhood  would  have  had  its  expense 
for  nothing."  Evelyn  spoke  the  words  glibly  but 
listlessly.  She  rested  her  elbows  on  the  desk  and 


FACE    TO   FACE.  325 

held  her  face  between  her  hands,  so  that  the  skin 
was  drawn  back  from  her  eyes,  giving  them  an 
almost  hollow  look. 

"No,  not  for  nothing,"  answered  De  Vito,  with 
his  teeth  set.  "  We  should  have  stood  out  for  right 
and  justice.  We  should  have  gained  a  few  recruits 
more  and  be  a  step  or  two  nearer  to  the  goal." 

"  For  right  and  justice  ? "  echoed  Evelyn. 

"  Yes,  lady,  for  right  and  justice.  I  have  followed 
your  programme  faithfully  for  three  years.  Now  I 
ask  you  to  follow  mine." 

She  looked  at  him  uneasily. 

"What  is  your  programme  ?"  she  inquired. 

"  Equal  rights  for  all  men,"  he  said,  slowly.  "  So- 
called  civilization  is  a  .  lie,  a  sham  ;  a  subterfuge 
under  protection  of  which  the  rich  and  powerful 
grind  the  wretched  and  ignorant.  Away  with  it ! " 
he  exclaimed  with  a  sweep  of  his  hand. 

"That  would  mean  a  thousandfold  worse,"  she 
murmured. 

"  Worse  ?  Could  there  be  worse  than  there  is  ? 
Cast  your  eyes  over  the  globe  and  what  do  you  see  ? 
A  mere  handful  prosperous  and  happy,  the  major 
ity  needy  and  degraded.  That  is  the  way  it  has  al 
ways  been.  A  few  have  lived  at  the  expense  of  the 
many.  The  old  world  had  its  kings  and  priests,  the 
new  world  has  its  capitalists  and  corporations.  One 
hears  a  great  deal  of  talk  about  this  being  a  free 
Country.  We  working  men  have  been  taught  to 
believe  that  the  United  States  is  a  shelter  and  asy 
lum  for  the  oppressed,  that  there  are  no  class  dis* 


326  FACE    TO  FACE. 

tinctions  here,  that  all  are  free  and  equal.  Pshaw! 
That  is  a  fiction,  a  cruel  deception,  and  is  becoming 
more  so  every  day.  There  are  no  hereditary  rulers 
here,  no  titled  aristocracy  ;  but  the  same  old  game  is 
going  on  under  different  names.  An  aristocracy  of 
wealth  and  luxury  is  squeezing  the  life-blood  out  of 
the  working  man.  Look  at  the  splendid  establish 
ments  of  the  rich.  Think  of  their  extravagant  lives. 
Then  think  of  the  lives  of  the  so-called  masses." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  Evelyn. 

"  I  am  a  radical,  a  Socialist.  I  told  you  that  three 
years  ago,"  he  said.  "  And  I  am  one  because  I  am 
able  to  feel  and  realize,  in  some  degree,  the  wrongs 
that  my  sort  are  called  on  to  suffer.  You  know  my 
parentage.  In  the  language  of  the  world  my  father 
was  a  gentleman,  my  mother  was  a  common 
laboring  girl.  From  her  I  have  inherited  my 
strong  coarse-grained  body,  these  brawny  arms  (he 
stretched  them  out  toward  Evelyn  and  shook  the 
clenched  hands) — all  these  outward  indications  of 
the  rough  working  man.  Don't  you  suppose  I  ap 
preciate  what  a  boor  I  am,  and  what  a  difference 
there  is  between  my  appearance  and  that  of  the  men 
with  whom  you  have  been  used  to  associate  ?  I 
have  my  father's  soul  in  my  mother's  body.  I  have 
the  mind,  the  thoughts,  the  aspirations  of  one  class, 
and  I  belong  to  the  other.  I  could  have  risen,  you 
will  say.  Yes,  I  could  have  risen,  perhaps,  but  the 
taint  of  my  low  origin  would  have  followed  me.  I 
cannot  rid  myself  of  that.  My  coarse  nature  is  a 
part  of  me.,  and  when  I  stop  to  think  of  it,  I  curse 


FACE   TO  FACE. 

the  civilization  that  has  made  it  possible  for  there 
to  be  such  differences  between  one  human  being 
and  another." 

4<You  must  blame  God  for  that,"  Evelyn  mur 
mured. 

"  No  !  "  he  thundered.  "  Let  the  cripple,  or  the 
blind,  console  himself,  if  he  choose,  with  the  thought 
that  he  was  born  so,  and  that  his  calamity  is  God's 
will.  But  man  is  responsible  for  such  differences 
as  exist  between  you  and  me.  They  represent  the 
long-continued  triumph  of  the  strong  over  the  weak, 
the  great  over  the  low — the  survival  of  the  fittest, 
as  your  scientists  call  it.  Civilization  as  it  exists  to 
day  is  based  upon  those  differences,  and  its  security 
lies  in  the  ignorance  of  the  victims.  Only  men  like 
me,  who  have  sufficient  understanding  to  realize  the 
truth,  can  feel  the  full  force  of  its  injustice.  Mark 
you,"  he  continued,  with  a  flash  of  his  eyes,  "  I  was 
born  in  a  garret.  My  baby-clothes  were  rags.  I 
lived  on  black  bread.  The  gutter  was  my  play 
ground.  I  know  all  the  miseries  of  the  poor.  There 
was  a  time  when  I  bore  them  without  murmur,  when 
I  suffered  dumbly  as  the  beasts  suffer,  and  strug 
gled.  I  felt  zeal  and  ambition.  I  studied  by  a 
wretched  candle  at  hours  when  most  men  are  asleep. 
I  proved  clever,  and  made  inventions.  I  easily  out 
stripped  my  mates.  Then  the  truth  began  to  dawn 
on  me  little  by  little,  and  I  asked  myself  what  right 
have  these  men  and  women  to  their  palaces  and 
yachts,  their  silks  and  satins,  and  balls  and  thou 
sand  fripperies,  while  other  men  and  women — fof 


PACE    TO  PACK. 

we  others  are  men  and  women— are  pressed  down. 
down,  down,  in  order  that  their  betters  may  con 
tinue  rich.  The  masses  have  been  dull  and  long- 
suffering,  but  they  are  learning  their  power — the 
power  of  numbers — faster  and  faster  every  day. 
The  great  injustice  is  nearly  at  an  end.  Christian- 
civilization  ?  A  pretty  Christian  civilization  is  that 
which  concerns  itself  about  the  proper  rendering  of  a 
Biole  text  and  lets  thousands  of  human  beings  freeze 
and  starve.  Worse  ?  Can  there  be  worse  ? " 

He  paused  a  moment  and  looked  at  Evelyn. 
She  made  no  reply,  but  still  sat  with  her  elbows  on 
the  desk  and  her  face  clasped  in  her  hands. 

"Three  years  ago,  lady,"  he  said,  more  quietly 
("lady  "  was  the  only  form  of  address  he  ever  used 
toward  her),  "  you  sent  for  me  when  I  was  embit 
tered  and  desperate.  I  came — I  don't  know  why  I 
came,  except  that  I  had  seen  you  that  day  in  the 
wood.  I  didn't  look  for  kindness.  I  didn't  want 
kindness.  I  was  ripe  for  revolt.  Not  to  steal  or 
commit  crimes,  but  to  promote,  so  far  as  lay  in  my 
power,  the  cause  of  down^trod  men  and  women. 
There  seemed  to  me  but  one  way.  But  when  I 
listened  to  you — you  who  spoke  to  me  as  no  one  had 
ever  spoken  before — I  said  that  I  would  help  you, 
I  said  that  I  would  try  to  believe  that  oil  and  water 
would  mix.  But  they  wont  mix.  Are  there  others 
like  you  ?  Where  are  they  ?  You  and  I  have  done 
our  utmost,  haven't  we  ?  During  these  three  years 
I  have  kept  my  word.  Whatever  I  may  have  felt 
at  heart,  I  have  stifled  it  down.  You  see  the  result 


PACE    TO  FACE. 

Failure.  Failure  and  waste  of  time  for  me.  Fail 
ure  and  ridicule  for  you.  For  they  will  laugh — 
how  they  will  laugh,  at  what  they  consider  your 
folly.  They  will  call  you  enthusiast  and  visionary 
reformer,  and  chuckle  at  the  downfall  of  your  im 
practical  schemes.  I  know  them,  and  the  tune 
they  will  sing.  You  are  one  and  they  are  a  host. 
They  are  banded  against  you.  You  have  tried 
your  way  ;  now  let  me  try  mine.  I  warned  you 
what  I  was  when  you  sent  for  me  three  years  ago, 
and  I  remember  you  said  to  me  then  that  you 
were  not  afraid.  I  told  you  I  was  a  radical  and 
Socialist.  Your  answer  was,  '  Perhaps  I  also  am  a 
radical  and  Socialist.'  The  time  has  come  for  you 
to  decide." 

"  What  is  it  you  wish  to  do  ?  "  she  asked.  Her 
face  was  very  pale.  "  I  am  afraid  of  nothing  that 
will  help  us  to  succeed." 

"  As  I  said  to  you  just  now,"  he  answered,  eagerly, 
"  I  have  only  to  exert  rny  influence  and  the  Clyme 
Valley  will  be  ruined.  Before  I  met  you  I  was  an 
officer  and  leading  spirit  in  one  of  the  most  radical 
Labor  Unions  in  the  country.  My  heart  and  soul 
were  in  its  cause.  When  I  accepted  your  offer, 
lady,  and  agreed  to  work  for  you,  I  cut  adrift  from 
the  Union.  I  kept  my  membership,  but  I  resigned 
my  office.  A  man  can't  serve  two  masters,  and  I 
was  bound  to  be  square  with  you.  You  see,  I  was 
ready  to  listen  to  reason — ready  to  give  you  other 
men  and  women  a  chance  to  prove  us  mistaken,  and 
to  say  afterward  to  those  of  my  sort,  in  case  you 


33O  FACE   TO  FACE. 

had,  '  Look  here,  let's  move  slow,  the  bosses  are 
ready  to  meet  us  half-way.'  But  it's  you  who  are 
proved  to  be  mistaken — mistaken  as  to  your  own 
class — mistaken  because  there  are  no  more  like  you. 
What  use  has  our  work  been  ?  We  have  corrected 
a  few  abuses  for  the  moment,  but  a  month  after  our 
hands  are  tied  everything  will  be  as  it  was  before. 
I  tell  you,  lady,  it's  like  building  on  the  sands.  The 
sea  is  against  you.  I  can  show  you  how  to  build 
upon  the  rocks.  I  am  going  back  to  my  old  friends. 
I  am  going  back,  determined  never  again  to  hesi 
tate  so  long  as  I  live  in  my  resistance  to  the  brutal 
monopoly  of  the  rich,"  he  continued,  pounding  his 
hand  against  his  palm.  "  And,  lady,  I  want  you  to 
join  me.  In  that  cause  your  enthusiasm  and  money 
will  not  be  wasted,  though  the  blood  in  your  veins 
dry  up  with  cold  and  hunger,  and  every  dollar  of 
your  millions  be  spent.  I  helped  you.  Now  it  is 
your  turn  to  help  me.  You  will  not  live  to  see  the 
day  of  victory,  but  it  will  come — and  when  it  comes 
you  will  he  numbered  among  those  who  were  not 
afraid  to  stand  out  for  what  is  just  and  right.  Just 
and  right !  Those  were  your  words,  lady.  Now 
they  are  mine." 

"  You  wish  me  to  join  you  in  stirring  up  strikes, 
in  encouraging  the  working  classes  to  rebel  against 
their  employers  ?  " 

"Yes,  lady." 

"But  that  means  disorder,  bloodshed,  anarchy," 
said  Evelyn. 

"  Are  we  to  blame  if  it  does  ?    I  want  no  blood* 


FACE   TO  FACE.  331 

shed,"  De  Vito  slowly  continued.  "  I  want  to  see 
the  laboring  classes  the  world  over  prepared  to  fold 
their  arms  and  say  :  '  We  will  starve,  but  we  will  not 
work  until  our  wrongs  are  redressed.  Build  your 
own  railroads,  dig  your  own  mines,  run  your  own 
machinery,  you  other  men  and  women.  We  would 
rather  die  and  have  our  children  die  than  live  as  we 
do.'  Rebel !  "  he  exclaimed,  with  an  impulsive  start, 
"why  should  we  not  rebel  ?  Is  there  any  obligation 
on  us  to  refuse  to  be  more  miserable  than  the  very 
beasts  ? " 

"  No,  no,"  said  Evelyn,  covering- her  face  with  her 
hands.  "  Your  lives  must  be  terrible — terrible. 
There  is  no  doubt  of  that.  But  I  cannot  bear  to 
believe  that  there  are  no  better  remedies  than  resist 
ance  and  retaliation." 

"  We  have  tried  everything  else.  We  have  been 
more  than  long-suffering  in  waiting  for  others  to 
help  us.  Now  we  are  going  to  help  ourselves." 

"  All  the  reading  and  study  in  the  world  doesn't 
seem  to  enable  one  to  arrive  at  any  satisfactory  con 
clusion,"  murmured  Evelyn,  soliloquizingly,  "  though 
these  questions  have  scarcely  been  out  of  my 
thoughts  during  the  last  three  years.  Is  it  not 
almost  a  law  of  life,"  she  asked,  looking  up  at  De  Vito, 
"  that  men  should  make  money  at  the  expense  of 
others  ?  But  that  is  no  answer  to  what  you  have 
said,"  she  added.  "  Indeed,  if  there  were  always  to 
be  the  differences  of  condition  that  exist  between 
men  to-day,  it  would  seem  as  if  the  world  had  better 
not  be.  Were  I  to  become  a  member  of  your  Union 


332  FACE    TO  FACE. 

and  give  my  money  and  support  to  your  radical 
schemes  I  should  be  putting  myself  in  opposition  to 
the  common  sense  and  sober  judgment  of  civiliza 
tion.  But  you  would  say,  I  suppose,  that  I  was 
taking  side  with  ignorance  and  weakness  and  dis 
tress  against  tyranny  and  pride  and  selfishness? " 

"  Yes.  And  one  convert  like  you  is  worth  a  mil 
lion  ordinary  converts,"  he  answered. 

"  I  see — I  see.  I  should  not  care  for  the  fact  that 
I  was  setting  my  face  against  everything  that  I  had 
been  taught  to  reverence  if  I  were  only  sure  that 
you  were  right  I  have  gone  too  far  already  to  be 
disturbed  by  that.  You  do  not  know,  perhaps,"  she 
asked,  "  that  I  am  an  Englishwoman  by  birth  ?  My 
family  is  closely  connected  with  the  nobility.  I  am 
supposed  to  be  merely  on  a  visit  to  this  country." 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "I  have  heard.  I  know  all  about 
you.  Do  you  imagine  there  is  a  man,  woman,  or 
child  in  the  mill  who  isn't  acquainted  with  your 
story  ?  Such  cases  as  yours  don't  occur  every  day, 
lady." 

He  spoke  so  ardently  that  Evelyn  let  fall  her  eyes 
in  confusion. 

"Only  one  more  step  remains,"  he  continued. 
"You  have  taken  the  others.  Do  you  hesitate  to 
take  that  ?  Don't  think,"  he  exclaimed,  "that  I  am 
incapable  of  realizing  what  I  ask  of  you.  Although 
I  belong  to  the  working  class,  I  can  appreciate  how 
difficult  it  must  be  for  one  surrounded  by  luxury 
and  the  soft  refinements  of  life  to  do  even  what  you 
have  done  already,  much  less  to  agree  to  join  the 


fAC£  TO  FACE.  333 

ranks  of  those  xvho  have  declared  war  against  idle 
elegance.  I  can  even  imagine,  lady — to  show  you 
that  I  do  not  underestimate  your  sacrifice— the  se 
duction  of  that  sweeter  intellectual  delight  of  leisure 
and  wealth-culture,  that  inexpressible  refining  of 
the  soul,  which  bids  one  shrink  from  everything 
that  is  ugly,  and  foul  and  degraded.  You  see,  I  un 
derstand,  in  some  measure,"  he  said,  perceiving  a 
flush  rise  to  Evelyn's  cheeks  and  her  eyes  fixed 
earnestly  on  him.  "You  see,  I  am  not  without  com 
prehension  of  the  raptures  to  be  derived  from  pol 
ished  sonnets  and  vellum  bindings  and  dreamy 
music,  or  of  the  bliss,  even,  which  might  flow  from 
that  exaltation  of  the  individual  nature  which  some 
call  religion." 

"  You  are  right,"  she  answered,  firmly,  as  she  won 
dered  at  his  insight.  "  Culture  means  death  if  it  be 
simply  selfish.  That  is  what  you  would  imply." 

"  I  would  imply  nothing,"  he  answered.  "  My  con 
cern  is  merely  this — we  are  miserable,  ignorant,  and 
starving,  you  others  have  everything.  We  mean  to 
put  an  end  to  that  difference  at  any  cost.  Will  you 
help  us  ?" 

Mis  words  were  vigorous,  but  there  was  a  touch 
of  supplication  in  his  tone  which  comported  well 
with  the  mingled  ardor  and  entreaty  of  his  look. 
He  stood  in  his  rough  working  clothes,  the  pattern 
of  a  stalwart  laboring  man,  a  curious  contrast  to  the 
finished,  high-bred-looking  woman  who  sat  listening 
to  him. 

"  I  cannot  tell.     Perhaps,"  she  said,  at  length.     "  I 


334  FACE    TO  FACE, 

must  have  time  to  think.  It  is  a  decision  that  will 
mean  everything  to  me,"  she  added. 

He  gazed  at  her  eagerly  a  moment  in  silence. 

"  It  will  mean  everything  to  me  also,  lady,"  he 
said,  in  a  low  voice. 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened  and  Evelyn's 
secretary,  the  young  graduate  of  Vassar  alluded  to 
by  Mrs.  Willoughby,  entered  with  a  long  package- 
like  envelope  which  had  just  come  from  the  post- 
office.  Evelyn  took  it  from  the  girl's  hand  and  me 
chanically  broke  the  seals  and  undid  the  contents. 
De  Vito  had  seated  himself  beside  the  hearth,  and 
leaning  his  brow  upon  his  hand,  was  staring  fixedly 
into  the  fire.  Presently  he  looked  over  his  shoulder. 
The  girl  had  gone.  Evelyn  was  reading  attentively 
the  communication  she  had  just  received. 

"  I  hate  delays,"  he  said,  almost  with  authority. 
"  Let  me  propose  you  at  once  as  a  member  of  the 
Union.  There  is  to  be  a  meeting  in  New  York  to 
morrow." 

Evelyn  put  up  her  hand  eagerly  to  indicate  that 
she  did  not  wish  to  be  interrupted. 

"  Don't  speak  to  me  now,"  she  said. 

A  few  moments  later  she  held  out  to  him  a  letter, 
and  exclaimed,  with  excitement  of  manner  :  "  Read 
that." 

"You  see,  I  am  not  entirely  deserted,"  she  contin 
ued,  when  De  Vito  had  finished  it.  "  Do  you  notice 
that  he  writes  that  he  has  watched  my  endeavors 
with  the  deepest  interest  from  the  first  ?  Here  are 
the  plans  of  the  electrical  invention.  You  will  be 


FACE    TO  FACE.  335 

able  to  judge  of  their  value,"  she  said,  pointing  to 
the  other  contents  of  the  envelope,  which  she  pro 
ceeded  to  spread  out  on  the  desk. 

"  Some  crank,  probably,"  said  De  Vito. 

"It  is  the  letter  of  a  man  who  seems  to  under 
stand  what  he  is  talking  about,"  she  answered. 
"  Besides,  he  isn't  trying  to  sell  his  patent  to  us. 
As  I  interpret  what  he  writes,"  she  added,  re-examin 
ing  the  letter,  "  the  patent  belongs  to  me — has  been 
taken  out  in  my  name.  Who  can  he  be  ?  "j 

The  attention  of  De  Vito,  who  had  begun  to  ex 
amine  the  papers  with  an  indifferent  air,  had  sud 
denly  become  arrested.  He  drew  a  chair  between 
his  legs  and  knitted  his  brows  absorbedly  over  the 
specifications.  Evelyn  sat  with  the  letter  in  her 
hand,  looking  into  space,  with  d  happier  expression 
than  her  face  had  worn  for  many  months.  What 
ever  the  merit  of  the  invention  might  turn  out  to  be, 
it  was  something  to  know  that  her  efforts  had  not 
been  entirely  fruitless.  She  felt  that  she  was  no 
longer  alone,  no  longer  without  sympathy  from 
those  of  her  own  class.  For  it  was  clear,  from  the 
language  of  the  letter,  and  from  the  penmanship, 
that  the  writer  was  an  educated  man.  Strange  that 
he  should  have  given  no  indication  as  to  who  he 
was !  Could  it  be  that  he  was  afraid  to  encourage 
her  openly  ? 

As  De  Vito,  still  poring  over  the  plans,  had  taken 
possession  of  her  desk,  Evelyn  sauntered  to  the  win 
dow  and  gazed  out  at  the  frozen  landscape.  An 
element  of  mystery  was  always  attractive  to  her. 


336  FACE   TO  FAC£. 

She  asked  herself  again  and  again  who  her  benefac 
tor  could  be.  Her  vision,  collaborating,  perhaps, 
with  a  consciousness  which  she  had  chosen  to  ignore, 
stole  through  the  bare  boughs  to  where  a  glimpse 
could  be  caught  of  the  show-shrouded,  solitary 
"  Seven  Oaks."  A  feeble  curl  of  blue  smoke  as 
cending  into  the  rare  air  told  of  the  old  gardener 
who  sat  beside  the  hearth  waiting  for  his  master's 
return.  Evelyn  sighed  gently,  and  for  a  moment  a 
glad  light  sparkled  in  her  eyes. 

She  turned  at  the  sound  of  De  Vito's  tread.  He 
had  finished  his  inspection,  and  was  pacing  the  room. 
He  looked  interested  and  earnest. 

"There  is  a  fortune  in  that  machine,"  he  said, 
nodding  toward  the.  papers.  "  The  man  is  right. 
By  means  of  it,  the  cost  of  producion  of  the  Wisabet 
can  be  reduced  fifty  per  cent,  at  least.  It's  a  mar 
vellous  affair,  and  easily  manufactured." 

Evelyn's  face  grew  all  aglow  at  his  words. 

"  Hurrah,"  she  cried,  waving  the  letter  above  her 
head,  "then  we  need  not  fail  after  all." 

"  In  three  months  we  could  have  the  Wisabet  fit 
ted  out  with  the  appliance,  and  in  less  than  a  year 
we  could  crowd  the  Clyme  Valley  to  the  wall,"  he 
answered,  eagerly.  "  Let  me  see  that  letter  again. 
It  reads  all  straight,  but  the  luck's  too  good  to  be 
real." 

He  scratched  his  head  reflectively  as  he  re-exam 
ined  the  letter. 

"  It's  a  gift — a  clean  gift.  That's  plain  as  the  nose 
on  my  face.  He  could  have  sold  the  patent  for  a 


FACE   TO  FACE.  337 

mint  of  money.     You  say  you  don't  know  who  he 
is?"  he  inquired,  a  with  sudden  glance  at  Evelyn. 

"  I  have  no  more  idea  than  you  have,"  she  an 
swered,  gayly.  "  The  handwriting  is  unfamiliar  ; 
there  is  no  signature,  as  you  see,  and  nothing  in  any 
way  to  indicate  the  sender.  I  don't  even  know  that 
my  correspondent  is  a  man,"  she  added,  with  a  smile. 

De  Vito  picked  up  the  envelope  and  scrutinized 
it. 

"  The  postmark  is  New  York,"  he  said. 

"  New  York  is  a  large  place." 

"Well,  no  matter  who  he  is,  everything  helps." 

"  You  feel  confident  that  the  invention  is  valu 
able  ? "  Evelyn  asked. 

"  I  have  not  a  doubt  of  it.  I  repeat — with  proper 
management,  we  could  manufacture  at  half  the  pres 
ent  figures." 

"  It  comes  as  a  Godsend,"  Evelyn  murmured. 
There  were  tears  in  her  eyes.  "  Here  we  were  at 
our  wit's  ends,  fancying  ourselves  deserted,  and  talk 
ing  of  giving  up  the  fight,  when  just  in  the  nick  of 
time  this  reinforcement  has  arrived  to  renew  our 
courage.  We  need  despair  no  longer." 

De  Vito  made  a  gesture  of  annoyance. 

"  The  evil  day  will  simply  be  put  off,"  he  said. 
"  It  can  only  be  a  question  of  time  when  you  do  fail. 
This  patent  might  set  us  on  our  feet  again  tempo 
rarily,  but "  He  paused  and  scowled.  "  I 

thought  we'd  agreed,  lady,  to  try  another  way." 

It  seemed  only  just  to  have  become  plain  to  him 
that  Evelyn  was  drawing  back.  His  interest  as  a 

22 


TO 

mechanic  in  the  invention  had  absorbed  him  so  faf 
that  he  had  for  the  moment  neglected  to  consider 
the  probable  effect  of  this  new  factor  on  his  pro 
jects. 

"That  was  when  there  appeared  to  be  no  alterna 
tive,"  she  answered,  gently.  "  Besides,  I  agreed  to 
nothing.  I  had  not  made  up  my  mind." 

"  The  same  arguments  hold  good  now  as  before," 
De  Vito  said.  He  held  a  strip  of  paper  in  his  fin 
gers  and  was  tearing  it  into  small  bits.  "  You  will 
waste  your  money  and  your  time.  What  can  you 
accomplish  ? " 

"  Perhaps  nothing,"  she  replied.  "  But  I  mean 
to  fight  to  the  end,  even  if  it  costs  me  my  entire 
fortune.  That  may  not  be  wise,  but  if  I  fail  it  will 
be  in  having  tried  to  do  my  best.  And  I  shall 
count  on  your  help,  De  Vito,  still." 

She  spoke  with  radiant  animation.  De  Vito  sur 
veyed  her  for  a  moment  in  silence. 

"  Why  should  the  gift  of  this  patent  change  your 
entire  resolution  ?"  he  asked.  "  Half  an  hour  ago, 
you  had  all  but  promised  to  join  us.  If  this  letter 
had  not  come,  you  would  have  joined  us." 

"  I  do  not  know  whether  I  should  or  not,"  Evelyn 
interjected. 

"  I  am  sure  you  would.  You  were  wavering. 
You  felt  the  horror  of  the  injustice  which  had  been 
done  us  for  centuries,  and  were  beginning  to  see 
that  the  only  hope  of  redress  lay  in  resistance." 

"  Yes,  I  felt  the  horror  of  that  injustice.  I  feel  it 
still.  God  knows,  De  Vito,  that  if  I  believed  that 


FACE    TO   FACE.  339 

your  way  was  the  right  way  I  would  not  hesitate  a 
moment.  But  as  it  is " 

"  As  it  is,  you  let  your  courage  be  balked  by  a 
mere  chance  circumstance.  How  does  the  gift  of 
this  patent  affect  the  true  merits  of  the  case  ? " 

"  It  shows  me  that  there  are  others  in  my  class 
who  feel  as  I  do — others  who  are  working  for  the 
same  ends  and  believe  in  the  same  methods,"  she 
answered,  eagerly.  "  A  mere  chance  circumstance  ? 
No,  not  as  I  look  at  it.  There  was  chance,  if  you 
will,  in  the  letter  arriving  when  it  did  arrive,  but  it 
was  sent  to  me,  meant  for  me.  I  was  wavering,  I 
admit.  I  did  not  know  what  to  decide.  But  now  I 
am  sure  that  my  way  is  the  right  way,  and  that 
yours  is  the  wrong  way.  Everything  must  have  a 
beginning.  Someone  must  fail  in  order  finally  to 
bring  about  success." 

"  Meanwhile,  we  should  be  wretched.  No,  no,  lady, 
we  have  waited  long  enough.  We  are  tired  of  waiting. 
We  are  resolved  to  help  ourselves.  I  tell  you,  you  do 
not  understand  your  own  class.  There  may  be  one 
or  two  men  and  women  who,  like  yourself,  are  striv 
ing  to  give  us  our  rights,  but  capital  as  capital  will 
never  yield  until  labor  has  it  by  the  throat.  The 
sooner  that  day  comes  the  better  for  us  all,  say  I." 

Evelyn  looked  at  him  a  moment  in  silence.  She 
shook  her  head. 

"  The  help  must  come  from  us,"  she  said,  "  or  you 
will  only  succeed  in  destroying  the  world." 

"Well,  then,  we  will  destroy  the  world.  Better 
that  there  should  be  no  world,  I  tell  you  again,  than 


34O  FACE    TO  FACE. 

that  it  should  be  the  terrible  dungeon  it  is  for  one- 
half  its  inhabitants." 

"  But  the  world  is  a  very  beautiful  place.  Think 
of  the  many  noble  features  in  our  civilization.  Con 
sider  how  human  nature  has  advanced  from  genera 
tion  to  generation — is  advancing  every  day,  I  be 
lieve.  And  what  have  you  other  men  and  women, 
as  you  call  the  laboring  classes,"  Evelyn  exclaimed, 
impulsively,  "  ever  done  to  promote  that  progress  ? 
Haven't  you,  rather,  ever  since  the  world  began  been 
a  clog  to  us  by  your  ignorance  and  brutality  and  in 
dolence  ?  What  is  money,  after  all,  but  the  reward 
which  the  world  grants  for  virtue  and  industry  ;  and 
do  not  crime  and  idleness  explain  why  there  is  so 
much  suffering  in  the  world  to-day  ?  Heaven  knows 
we  are  to  blame  ;  but  so  are  you  to  blame.  A  part 
of  the  responsibility  is  yours.  Civilization  has  ad 
vanced  because  there  have  been  in  the  past  millions 
of  earnest  men  who  have  made  the  most  of  them 
selves.  On  the  other  hand,  the  masses  are  daily 
paying  the  penalty  of  being  the  descendants  of 
shiftless,  sinful  people.  Are  you  fit  to  choose  for 
yourselves  ?  Are  you  fit  to  know  what  you  want, 
or  to  guide  or  direct  ?  Everything  noble  and  grand 
that  humanity  has  done  hitherto  has  been  done  by 
the  educated  and  rich  and  powerful." 

"  That  is  the  justice  of  the  aristocrats.  You  pin 
us  down  and  then  throw  our  poverty  in  our  teeth." 

"  I  am  merely  defending  myself,"  she  answered, 
her  beautiful  face  suffused  by  the  ardor  of  her  ad 
vocacy.  "  You  know  well  that  if  I  had  ray  will, 


FACE    TO  FACE.  341 

you  should  be  pinned  down  no  longer.  But  what  I 
have  just  said  is  true — I  feel  that  it  is  true.  Men 
are  what  their  fathers  were  before  them." 

"  Is  that  any  consolation  to  us  ? "  De  Vito  ex 
claimed,  fiercely.  "  Because  our  fathers  starved,  is 
it  any  easier  for  us  to  starve  ?" 

He  stood  gnawing  his  lip  angrily,  as  though  the 
soundness  of  her  words  baffled  him. 

"  I  suppose  not,"  she  answered-  "  But  the  thought 
makes  the  injustice  seem  less  one-sided,  and  makes 
me  realize  more  plainly  than  ever  that  the  help 
must  come  from  us  if  it  is  to  come  at  all.  Most  of 
the  unhappy  creatures  who  need  that  help  would 
not  be  able  to  understand  my  argument ;  but  men 
with  clear  heads  like  you,  who  have  aroused  the 
masses  to  a  sense  of  their  wrongs,  should  also  make 
known  to  them  our  rights.  Come,  De  Vito," 
Evelyn  continued,  "  abandon  your  scheme  of  retal 
iation.  Do  not  desert  me  now,  you  who  have  been  my 
right-hand  man  for  so  long — you  who  have  pointed 
out  to  me  so  many  evils  that  need  correcting." 

"  It  is  too  late,"  he  answered.  "  The  masses  know 
their  power  too  well  to  halt  now.  If  you  do  not 
give,  they  will  take.  I  am  sorry  to  desert  you,  lady, 
but  I  warned  you." 

"Yes,  you  warned  me." 

A  silence  followed.  Presently  De  Vito  arose  and 
buttoned  his  coat.  / 

"  You  must  find  someone  to  take  my  place,  lady," 
he  said. 

Then  he  left  the  room. 


XVII. 

A  NOTHER  twelve  months  had  elapsed,  or  indeed 
li  more  than  that,  for  the  buds  were  bursting, 
and  there  was  a  balminess  suggestive  of  approach 
ing  summer  in  the  air  on  a  certain  afternoon  when 
Willoughby  Pimlico,  with  a  rather  less  stolid  ex 
pression  than  usual,  entered  his  house. 

"  Well,  my  dear,  what  is  the  news  ? "  asked  his 
wife,  who  judged  from  his  cheerful  manner  that  he 
had  something  of  interest  to  impart. 

"  The  Clyme  Valley  Manufacturing  Company  has 
suspended  payments,"  he  answered,  gleefully. 

"What!  The  company  that  has  been  such  a 
rival  of  Evelyn's  ? " 

"  The  very  same.  That  new  electrical  appliance 
has  done  the  business.  The  Clyme  Valley,  it  seems, 
had  a  huge  stock  on  hand  which  Evelyn  was  able  to 
undersell  completely.  I  understand  that  the  inven 
tion  is  likely  to  cause  a  revolution  in  mill  machin 
ery.  Hooray,"  he  exclaimed,  throwing  up  his  hands  ; 
"  I'm  pleased  as  Punch." 

"  What  a  lucky  girl  she  is  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Wil 
loughby,  after  a  moment  "  It  wasn't  much  more 
than  a  year  ago  that  everybody  was  prophesying 
she  would  run  through  her  property." 


FACE   TO  FACE.  343 

"  Lucky  ?  I  don't  call  it  luck.  I  call  it.  grit.  Be 
sides,  she  deserves  every  bit  of  good  fortune  that 
can  come  to  her." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you  as  to  her  deserts,"  an 
swered  his  wife,  with  a  slightly-amused  smile,  "but 
you  must  admit,  Willoughby,  that  the  gift  of  that 
patent  was  a  very  uncommon  piece  of  good  for 
tune." 

"  Not  so  very,"  he  answered,  resolutely. 

"  Shouldn't  you  consider  it  highly  extraordinary 
if  some  person  who  was  a  perfect  stranger  should 
send  me  a  present  of  half  a  dozen  enormous  soli 
taires  ? " 

"Not  if  he  admired  you  as  much  as  I  do." 

"  How  silly  you  are,  Willoughby  !  If  you  aren't 
Careful,  I'll  take  you  at  your  word  and  order  them 
at  Tiffany's  to-morrow." 

"  I  feel  in  such  good  spirits,  I  could  almost  give 
you  permission,"  answered  her  husband. 

Mrs.  Willoughby  mused  a  moment. 

"  Doesn't  Ernest  Clay  own  a  great  deal  of  stock  in 
the  Clyme  Valley  Company  ? "  she  asked. 

"  No  ;  he  sold  out  his  entire  interest  about  two 
years  ago." 

"  Really  ?  how  do  you  know  ?" 

"  Because  I  negotiated  the  sale,"  Willoughby  said, 
after  a  moment.  "  Clay  wrote  to  me  on  the  subject." 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  ? " 

"  I  didn't  suppose  it  would  interest  you.  Besides, 
it  was  private  business." 

"  Not  interest  ra«  ?     Why,  if  I  hadn't  happened  to 


344  FACE  TO  PACE. 

speak  just  now,  I  might  have  gone  on  supposing 
that  he  and  Evelyn  were  each  trying  to  ruin  the 
other.  That  was  the  way  it  looked.  I  Wrote  to 
Ernest  once  on  the  subject.  Perhaps  my  letter 
caused  him  to  sell.  Though  I  must  say  he  sent  me 
a  mere  scrap  of  a  reply  which  contained  absolutely 
nothing  relating  to  his  own  affairs.  Does  Evelyn 
know  ?  " 

"  I  doubt  if  she  does.  The  transaction  was  pur 
posely  kept  secret." 

"  Well,  his  selling  out  can  scarcely  help  him,"  said 
Mrs.  Willoughby,  mournfully.  "After  this  triumph 
over  the  other  mill  Evelyn  will  be  certain  to  follow 
her  own  bent  more  absolutely  than  ever." 

"Without  question,"  answered  Willoughby.  "  She 
has  every  reason  to  feel  encouraged." 

The  big  Englishman  began  to  hum  a  merry  air. 

"The  proper  thing  now  would  be  for  Evelyn  to 
discover  her  unknown  benefactor  and  marry  him," 
said  his  wife,  with  a  scornful  smile. 

"  An  excellent  idea.     I  will  suggest  it  to  her." 

"  I  believe  you  would  be  just  crazy  enough.  So 
unlimited  has  your  admiration  become  for  every 
thing  the  child  says  and  does,  I'm  not  at  all  sure 
that  if  she  had  wished  to  wed  De  Vito  himself,  you 
would  not  have  said,  '  bless  you,  my  children.'  Thank 
goodness,  she  has  got  rid  of  that  wretch." 

"  De  Vito  is  a  great  loss  to  her  in  many  respects. 
She  will  find  it  very  difficult  to  supply  his  place — 
that  is,  to  obtain  anyone  so  thoroughly  devoted  to 
her  interests,"  observed  Willoughby.  "  However, 


FACE    TO  FACE.  345 

since  he  is  determined  to  resort  to  radicalism,  it  is 
just  as  well  that  he  has  left  her,  especially  if  she 
can,  as  you  suggest,  ferret  out  the  inventor  of  her 
patent."  After  which  remark  Willoughby  grinned 
good-humoredly. 

His  wife  eyed  him  with  suspicion,  as  though  a 
sudden  idea  had  seized  her. 

"  Willoughby,  I  believe  you  know  who  the  man 
is,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  I,  dear  ?  " 

"  Yes,  you  dear.  You  can't  deny  it,"  she  cried, 
exultantly.  "  I'm  sure  you  do,  now.  Is  he — oh,  of 
course  it  must  be  Ernest  Clay." 

"And  what  if  it  should  be  ?  " 

"  No  matter.     Only  tell  me  if  I  am  right." 

"  Well,  yes,  then.  What  is  more,  he  is  in  town  and 
is  coming  to  dine  with  us  to-night." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  stared  with  open  eyes. 

"Why,  Willoughby,  this  is  a  new  role  for  you  to 
figure  in.  An  arch  conspirator,  eh  ?  Tell  me  one 
thing,  are  they  engaged  ?  " 

"  Evelyn  and  Clay  ? " 

"Whom  else  could  I  mean  ?" 

"  He  hasn't  seen  her,  to  my  knowledge." 

"  But  he  might  have  written,  goose." 

"  I  am  confident  that  Evelyn  has  no  idea  he  is  in 
this  country." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  was  silent  a  moment.  "To 
think  of  my  not  having  guessed  before!"  she  ex 
claimed. 

"What  was  there  to  guess  ?  " 


346  FACE  TO  FACE. 

"  That  Ernest  Clay  invented  that  machine.  It 
seems  the  most  natural  thing  possible,  now  that  one 
knows.  And  yet  I  must  confess  the  idea  never  en 
tered  my  head.  I  see  it  all  now.  That  is  what  he 
has  been  working  at  during  these  years  abroad.  The 
mystery  is  explained.  I  wonder  very  much,"  she 
added,  musingly,  "  whether  Evelyn  suspects  the 
truth.  I  think  she  would  have  told  me  if  she 
really  knew.  And  how  was  it,  Willoughby,  you 
came  to  be  taken  into  the  secret  ? " 

"  Clay  wrote  to  me,  and  put  the  whole  matter  into 
my  hands.  That  is,  I  was  to  have  the  patent  taken 
out  in  Evelyn's  name,  and  to  conceal  his  identity 
completely.  He  charged  me  to  tell  no  one,  and 
underlined  the  no  one.  So  you  see,  Clara,  I  was 
powerless  to  say  anything  to  you." 

"  Yes,  I  see.  The  monster  !  As  if  I  hadn't  lain 
awake  nights,  racking  my  brain  ao  discover  a  way 
to  bring  Evelyn  and  him  together  !  Well,  what  does 
he  propose  to  do  next  ?  Why  has  he  made  such  a 
mystery  of  the  matter  ?  " 

"  Doubtless  he  will  be  ready  to-night  to  answer 
both  those  questions  himself.  I  have  told  you  all  I 
know." 

"  How  unenterprising  you  are,  Willoughby  !  " 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?"  he  said.  "  Now,  I  was  flat 
tering  myself  that  I  had  shown  a  commendable  de 
gree  of  enterprise  to-day.  In  the  first  place  I  sent 
a  telegram  to  Evelyn,  congratulating  her  on  her 
victory,  and  announcing  that,  if  agreeable  to  her,  we 
would  run  down  to-morrow  to  'Highlands'  with  a 


FACE   TO  FACE.  347 

few  friends  to  celebrate  the  event.  I  received  a  cor 
dial  reply  bidding  us  welcome.  Accordingly  I  set 
to  work  to  engage  my  party." 

"Are  you  in  earnest,  Willoughby ? " 

"Never  more  so,  Clara." 

"  Well,  go  on.     Whom  did  you  ask  ? " 

"  The  same  set  that  was  at  Mr.  Brock's  four  years 
ago.  Marian  Bydoon,  Isabel  Slatterly,  and  so  forth." 

"What  in  the  world  put  it  into  your  head  to  in 
vite  those  girls  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  presently.  Suffice  to  say  for  the 
moment  that  they  are  all  going." 

"  Really  ?  I  presume  you  explained  to  them 
what  sort  of  a  place  they  were  going  to  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  every  one  seemed  most  eager  to  ac 
cept.  Then  I  ordered  all  the  delicacies  of  the  sea 
son  and  some  baskets  of  champagne  to  be  sent  down 
to  '  Highlands.'  " 

"  Willoughby,  you  are  killing,"  said  his  wife,  who 
seemed  immensely  amused.  "  This  affair  of  Evelyn's 
has  turned  your  brain.  However,  we  ought  to  have 
a  good  time,  I  think.  The  people  )rou  have  asked 
will  enjoy  the  thing  for  a  change.  But  I  fancy 
Evelyn  will  scarcely  thank  you.  The  responsibility 
is  yours,  remember.  I  wash  my  hands  of  it.  If 
Evelyn  is  vexed,  I  shall  put  the  entire  blame  on  you. 
But  what  about  Ernest  Clay  ?"  she  asked,  suddenly. 

"  He  is  going  too.  I  made  sure  of  him  first  of 
all." 

"  And  does  he  mean  to  tell  her  ? " 

"  I  see  no  reason  why  he  shouldn't.    But,  as  I 


FACE    TO   FACE. 

have  already  informed  you,  you  kno\v  all  that  1 
know." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  sat  for  some  moments  wrapped 
in  her  own  reflections.  Then  she  said,  complacently : 
"  It  really  looks  as  if  there  were  a  chance  that  they 
would  marry  one  another,  after  all.  As  for  you,  my 
dear,"  she  added,  "  I  am  positively  electrified  at  your 
complicity  in  the  affair,  to  say  nothing  of  this  im 
promptu  jollification  you  have  spoken  of.  You 
haven't  explained  to  me  yet,  by  the  way,  what  pos 
sessed  you  to  invite  those  people." 

Willoughby  stroked  his  beard  meditatively.  "  I 
invited  them  because  I  wanted  them  to  see  what 
could  be  accomplished,  even  in  so  short  a  period  as 
four  years,  by  one  who  was  in  earnest.  Four  years 
ago  Evelyn  seemed,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  like 
one  of  us.  Now,  while  we  have  been  standing  still 
or  going  down  hill,  she  has  made  a  noble  woman  of 
herself." 

"  Poor  Marian  Bydoon  went  down  hill  with  a 
vengeance  when  her  horse  stumbled  with  her,"  said 
Mrs.  Willoughby,  with  a  laugh.  "  Othenvise  I  fail 
to  appreciate  the  force  of  your  remark.  For  you  to 
moralize — if  it  is  a  moral  that  you  are  seeking  to 
convey,  my  dear — is  something  more  remarkable 
even  than  the  rest  of  your  behavior.  As  I  said  to 
you  a  monfent  ago,  your  brain  has  been  affected." 

"  The  moral  applies  to  us  all  equally,  Clara,  and 
I  dare  say  we  shall  continue  to  live  on  just  as  we  do 
at  present  in  spite  of  Evelyn's  example  ;  but  we  can 
at  least  go  down  to  '  Highlands '  and  express  our 


FACE   TO  PA  CM.  349 

admiration  for  her  pluck  and  steadfastness.  There? 
isn't  one  girl  in  a  thousand,  or  rather  in  a  million,  in 
her  position  who  would  have  done  the  same." 

"  No,  thank  goodness,"  murmured  Mrs.  Wil- 
lougbby,  in  rather  a  nettled  tone,  "  Talk  as  you 
may,  I  am  not  yet  able  to  see  that  Evelyn  has  ac 
complished  anything,  or  is  likely  to  accomplish  any 
thing,  which  should  encourage  imitation.  She  is  un-- 
doubtedly  a  very  peculiar  girl,  and  now  that  I  know 
her  so  well  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  she  isn't 
happier  where  she  is  than  she  would  be  living  like 
the  rest  of  us.  But  looked  at  purely  from  the  stand 
point  of  common  sense,  I  regard  her  conduct  ns 
crazy.  She  seems  for  the  moment,  I  admit,  to  have 
been  very  successful,  but  only  because  Ernest  Clay, 
who  has  been  in  love  with  Evelyn  from  the  first  day 
he  saw  her,  came  to  her  rescue.  Now  very  likely 
she  will  marry  him.  He  would  have  made  her  just 
as  good  a  husband  four  years  ago." 

"  You  know  you  don't  believe  that,  Clara.  You 
like  to  persuade  yourself  that  you  do,  but  you  don't. 
It  would  be  much  honester  to  follow  my  example 
and  say,  '  Evelyn  is  worth  six  of  me,  but  God  has 
made  me  as  I  am  and  I  can't  change.'  There's  no 
more  doubt  that  she  is  right  and  that  we  are  wrong 
than  that  you  are  sitting  there  and  that  I  am  sitting 
here.  We  shall,  as  I  said  before,  go  on  probably  to 
the  end  of  the  chapter,  living  the  same  comfortable 
existences  as  at  present — I  busy  with  my  horses  and 
dogs  and  club,  and  you  with  your  dinner  parties  and 
brie  a  brae.  We  don't  do  much  harm,  I  dare  say, 


350  FACE  TO  PACE. 

but  when  it  comes  to  declaring  that  it  would  have 
been  just  as  well  if  my  cousin  and  her  lover  had 
been  made  man  and  wife  at  the  time  we  were  anx 
ious  to  bring  about  the  match — well,  I  beg  to  be 
excused  from  subscribing  to  any  such  sentiment. 
We  have  ceased  to  believe  in  hell,  and  it  may  be 
that  Dick,  my  setter  pup,  has  a  soul  no  less  immortal 
than  either  yours  or  mine  ;  but,  after  all,  there  is 
something  rather  fine,  mia  cara,  in  a  pair  of  lovers 
who  do  believe  in  something,"  said  Willoughby,  giv 
ing  his  long  legs  an  extra  stretch,  as  though  to  re 
assure  his  wife  that  he  had  no  intention  personally 
of  doing  anything  desperate. 

"  Don't  be  blasphemous,  Willoughby,"  she  said, 
but  she  looked  a  little  grave. 

"There's  no  question,"  he  continued,  after  a 
moment's  cogitation,  "  that  this  is  a  great  country. 
Even  a  do-nothing  like  me  realizes  that  more  and 
more  every  day." 

"  Apropos  of  Evelyn  ?  " 

"  Yes,  for  the  time  being." 

"You  may  say  whatever  else  you  choose,  Wil 
loughby,  but  this  country  has  enough  peculiar  peo 
ple  of  its  own  without  being  held  responsible  for 
Evelyn.  As  I  have  several  times  said  to  you  before, 
she  brought  all  her  eccentricities  with  her,"  said  his 
wife,  firmly. 

"Ah,  but  you  forget  that  if  the  United  States  had 
not  existed,  she  would  never  have  got  her  ideas. 
Hasn't  she  told  us  that  her  one  ambition,  since  she 
was  first  able  to  think  on  her  own  account,  was  to 


FACE    TO  FACE.  351 

become  like  an  American  girl  ?  She  has  succeeded, 
and  what  is  more,  she  has  taught  this  young  Clay  to 
act  like  an  American  man.  There  was  always  some 
thing  aspiring  in  his  nature — one  could  see  that 
from  his  face  ;  but  the  pressure  of  his  surroundings 
kept  it  under.  I  have  a  notion  that  the  court  of 
some  effete  monarchy  is  the  place  for  such  people 
as  you  and  me,  Clara." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,  Willoughby." 

"  Well,  we  won't  quarrel,  my  love.  That  would  be 
worse  than  anything.  Besides,  you  are  a  great  deal 
cleverer  than  I,  and  if  we  got  to  arguing  I  should  be 
sure  to  be  worsted  and  to  become  convinced  against 
my  will,"  he  said,  laughing  and  looking  at  his  watch. 
"  Bless  me,  you  will  not  be  ready  for  dinner  if  you 
don't  begin  to  dress  at  once.  Even  socialists  must 
prefer  to  have  their  soup  hot." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  returned  her  husband's  smile 
and  stood  a  moment  looking  at  him,  half  wonder- 
ingly  and  half  amused,  before  she  left  the  room. 
She  knew  that  when  he  made  up  his  mind  on  any 
subject  he  was  disposed  to  be  what  often  seemed  to 
her  preternaturally  firm.  BjU  he  was  not  in  the 
habit  of  making  up  his  mind  on  ethical  subjects. 

"  I  shouldn't  be  surprised,"  she  said  as  a  parting 
shot,  "to  hear  that  you  had  offered  yourself  to 
Evelyn  as  a  candidate  for  De  Vito's  place." 

"You  needn't  be  anxious,  Clara,"  he  answered. 
"My  bark  is  worse  than  my  bite.  I  promise  that  I 
will  never  compromise  you  otherwise  than  by  words. 
You  ought  by  this  time  to  have  implicit  trust  in  mV 


352  FACE    TO  FACE. 

constitutional  laziness."  Whereupon  Willoughbj 
settled  himself  comfortably  in  his  chair  and  opened 
the  evening  paper. 

Three  quarters  of  an  hour  later  Mrs.  Willoughby 
had  the  satisfaction  of  greeting  Ernest  Clay  in 
person.  She  found  him  but  little  changed  in  appear 
ance,  as  was  not  unnatural  considering  his  period  of 
life.  He  told  her  briefly  at  the  dinner-table,  on  learn 
ing  from  Willoughby  that  she  knew  his  secret,  that 
his  time  abroad  had  been  spent  entirely  in  study  in 
one  or  another  of  the  great  cities  on  the  Continent. 
The  results  of  his  industry  had  been  the  patent  with 
which  she  was  familiar,  and  one  or  two  additional 
inventions  of  the  same  class  which  were  not  yet 
perfected.  Clay,  in  turn,  asked  a  few  questions  con 
cerning  their  mutual  acquaintances,  but  no  direct 
reference  was  made  to  Evelyn  until  later  in  the 
evening,  when  the  host,  divining,  perhaps,  that  his 
absence  would  be  appreciated,  left  his  wife  alone  in 
the  parlor  with  her  new-found  friend.  Then  Mrs. 
Willoughby,  encouraged  by  the  cordiality  of  Clay's 
manner,  turned  to  him  presently  with  her  interroga 
tive  smile  and  enigmatic  "Well  ?" 

Clay  nodded  and  said,  quietly,  "  My  feelings  have 
not  changed.  I  love  her  as  much  as  ever." 

"  Of  course,  fa  va  sans  dire.  The  patent  proved 
that.  I  mean,  does  she  know  ?  " 

"  That  I  invented  the  patent  ?  Not  unless  some 
one  else  has  informed  her.  I  have  done  my  best  to 
keep  her  in  ignorance  of  the  fact.  Tell  me  about 
her,"  he  added,  eagerly. 


FACE   TO  FACE.  353 

"  You  don't  deserve  that  I  should  tell  you  any 
thing,  mon  ami.  Why  did  you  take  such  pains  to 
keep  me  in  the  dark  concerning  this  very  romantic 
episode  ?  Me,  who  have  left  no  stone  unturned  to 
aid  your  cause  ? " 

"  I  told  Willoughby  yesterday  that  I  wished  you 
to  know." 

"  Really.     How  exceedingly  kind." 

"  You  and  he  are  the  only  two  persons  in  the 
world  who  do  know." 

"  Yes,  the  only  two.  I  don't  fancy  playing  second 
fiddle." 

''You  would  have  told  her,"  Clay  answered. 
"  You  couldn't  have  resisted  the  temptation.  You 
would  have  given  her  an  inkling  of  the  truth,  at  any 
rate.  I  was  afraid  to  run  any  risk.  I  wanted  her 
to  be  entirely  free  to  use  the  invention.  If  she  had 
known  I  had  anything  to  do  with  it,  she  would  have 
been  certain  to  refuse  to  profit  by  it." 

"  Passing  over  for  a  moment  your  impertinence 
as  to  my  ability  to  keep  a  secret,  don't  you  suppose 
she  believes  in  her  heart  that  it  was  you  ? "  asked 
Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"  I  hope  to  heaven  she  does.  If  she  thought  that, 
there  might  be  some  chance  for  me,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  I  wish  I  could  give  you  any  definite  consola 
tion  ;  but  you  should  have  made  me  a  confidant,  if 
you  wished  me  to  observe  Evelyn's  symptoms.  For 
all  I  knew,  you  had  ceased  to  think  of  her." 

"  But  you  have  seen  her,"  said  Clay.     "  Is  she 

well?" 

23 


354  FACE    TO  FACE. 

"  Oh,  yes,  she  is  well  and  as  handsome  as  ever. 
She  looked  thin  and  worried  a  year  ago,  but  since 
the  tide  turned  in  her  favor  she  has  regained  her 
comeliness.  You  came  to  her  rescue  in  the  nick  of 
time,  as  Willoughby  doubtless  has  told  you.  Her 
affairs  were  getting  frightfully  involved." 

"Yes,  I  know." 

"And  what  do  you  propose  to  do  next?  "asked 
Mrs.  Willoughby,  insinuatingly. 

Clay  shook  his  head.  "  That  remains  to  be  seen," 
he  said. 

"  You  are  cautious  still,  I  perceive." 

"No,  really  I  don't  know,"  he  answered,  earnestly. 
"You  know  what  I  wish — what  I  pray  for.  If  I  am 
not  to  work  with  her,  at  least  my  own  work  has  be 
come  an  absorbing  interest  to  me.  I  can  thank  her 
for  that." 

"  She  has  no  one  now  on  whom  to  rely  for  advice 
since  her  extraordinary  ally  De  Vito  went  away." 

"What  has  become  of  De  Vito  ? "  asked  Clay. 

"Become  of  him  ?  You  know,  of  course,  why  he 
left  here  ?  " 

"Only  vaguely." 

"  He  wanted  her  to  become  a  radical.  I  don't 
know  many  of  the  particulars,  but  I  know  they  had 
a  long  interview  which  ended  in  De  Vito's  quitting 
her  employment.  That  was  a  year  ago,  and  he  has 
never  been  near  her  since,  I  believe.  Willoughby 
read  from  the  newspaper,  only  last  week,  that  some 
prominent  labor  organization  had  chosen  Andrew 
De  Vito  Grand  Master.  That  must  be  he,  of  course. 


FACE   TO  FACE.  355 

I  have  breathed  more  freely  ever  since  he  left  High 
lands,  though  I  will  admit  that  so  long  as  he  re 
mained  there  he  behaved  himself." 

"  I  am  glad  she  did  not  marry  him,"  said  Clay, 
after  a  pause. 

Mrs.  Willoughby  gave  a  gasp.  "Marry  De  Vito?" 
she  cried.  "  What  do  you  mean  ? " 

"  I  only  mean  that  I  had  a  feeling  that  his  fire 
and  energy  might  induce  Miss  Pimlico  to  overlook 
his  deficiencies.  If  he  had  loved  her,  it  would  have 
been  with  his  whole  heart.  She  would  have  mar 
ried  a  man" 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby,  "that  is  the  most 
remarkable  utterance  I  have  listened  to  yet,  from 
either  of  you.  I  have  heard  a  great  many  strange 
observations  in  the  course  of  the  last  few  years,  but 
this  beats  them  all.  You — you  of  all  men — who  used 
to  be  almost  ludicrously  fastidious  in  regard  to  what 
is  what,  talking  calmly  and  judicially  as  to  the  ad 
visability  of  such  a  beautiful  creature — for  whatever 
may  be  thought  of  her  theories,  no  one  can  deny 
Evelyn's  personal  attractions — marrying  a  wretch 
like  De  Vito !  '  I  am  glad  she  did  not  marry  him  ;' 
as  though  it  were  the  merest  chance  she  did  not. 
You  don't  deserve  to  win  her  after  such  a  speech." 

"  It  was  your  letter  which  put  into  my  head  the 
idea  that  it  might  be  possible  for  her  to  marry  him, 
and  I  said  to  myself, '  She  might  do  worse.  Here  is 
a  man  devoted  to  her  service,  deeply  interested  in 
her  schemes,  endowed  with  earnestness  and  pur 
pose,  rough,  it  is  true,  coarse-natured  even  ;  but  in- 


356  FACE    TO  FACE. 

domitable,  unhampered  by  petty  considerations  oi 
a  faint  heart' " 

"  And  you  mean  to  tell  me  you  regarded  this  demi 
god  as  a  rival  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Willoughby  in  amaze 
ment. 

"  In  a  measure,  yes.  You  forget  that  Evelyn  is 
not  like  most  girls." 

"  Pardon  me,  I  am  never  allowed  to  forget  it  for 
a  moment.  But  there  must  be  a  limit,  I  judge,  even 
to  her  eccentricity,  unless  the  world  is  to  be  turned 
topsy-turvy  at  once.  If  I  hinted  at  the  possibility 
of  such  an  abomination  in  my  letter,  it  was  merely 
to  bring  you  home.  I  admit  that  on  the  occasions 
when  I  visited  Highlands,  it  seemed  to  me  as  though 
De  Vito  couldn't  keep  his  eyes  off  Evelyn.  He  may 
very  likely  have  aspired  to  her,  as  he  looked  auda 
cious  enough  for  anything.  But  the  idea  of  your 
seriously  supposing  that  she  could  fancy  him,  and 
then 'talk  ing  as  though  it  would  have  been  the  most 
natural  infatuation  in  the  world  !  I  thought  you 
knew  women,  mon  ami." 

"  Well,  he  has  left  her,  so  we  will  not  quarrel 
over  the  point.  I  shall  go  to  Clyme  Valley  by  the 
early  train  to-morrow." 

"  Not  with  the  rest  of  us,  then  ?" 

"  No.  I  have  opened  my  own  house,  and  I  wish 
to  put  things  to  rights  a  little  before  you  arrive,  so 
that  if  you  honor  me  with  a  visit,  you  may  not  find 
a  totally  ungarnished  hearth." 

"  I'm  not  at  all  sure,"  answered  Mrs.  Willoughby, 
thoughtfully,  "  that  my  lord  and  master  did  wisely 


FACE   TO  FACE.  357 

to  invite  all  those  people,  not  only  on  Evelyn's  ac 
count,  but  yours.  However,  you  may  get  a  quiet 
hour  before  we  arrive.  Perhaps  that  is  what  Wil- 
loughby  is  counting  on.  It  may  be  he  expects  to 
celebrate  your  engagement.  I  assure  you  he  is 
very  deep.  Yesterday  I  should  never  have  suspected 
him  of  such  a  thing,  but  now  I  find  I  am  a  mere 
novice  in  the  art  of  strategy  compared  with  my  hus 
band.  What  is  that,  Patterson  ? "  she  asked,  as  the 
servant  entered  and  laid  a  note  on  the  writing-table. 

"  A  telegram  for  Mr.  Pimlico." 

"  Bring  it  to  me." 

Mrs.  Willoughby  opened  the  envelope  and  drew  out 
the  snake-like  contents.  "  Mercy !"  she  exclaimed 
as  she  read.  "  It's  from  Evelyn.  Listen.  '  There 
is  so  nmch  disorder  among  the  operatives  of  the 
Clyme  Valley  Company  that  it  will  be  more  pru 
dent  to  postpone  your  visit  until  everything  is  quiet 
again. — EVELYN  PIMLICO.'  " 

"Humph  !" 

"  But  I  thought  the  Clyme  Valley  Company  had 
failed,"  said  Mrs.  Willoughby. 

"  There  has  been  discontent  among  the  operatives 
for  several  months.  The  news  of  the  failure  has 
probably  caused  some  excitement,"  answered  Clay. 
He  glanced  at  the  clock.  "  I  think,  if  you  will  ex 
cuse  me,"  he  said  rising,  "I  will  try  to  catch  the  ten 
o'clock  train  to-night.  I  should  like  to  be  on  hand 
in  case  of  any  trouble." 

A  moment  later  he  had  left  the  house,  and  hail 
ing  a  cab  was  on  the  way  to  his  rooms.  His  valise 


FACE    TO  FACE. 

happened  to  be  nearly  packed,  in  anticipation  ol 
the  morning.  He  was  just  in  time  to  take  the  train, 
and  he  reached  his  destination  not  long  after  mid 
night. 

As  he  drove  through  the  town  he  heard  the  noise 
of  tipsy  revelling  proceeding  from  a  nest  of  grog 
shops.  Notwithstanding  the  lateness  of  the  hour 
there  were  knots  of  men  talking  at  the  street  cor 
ners,  some  of  whom  "  guyed  "at  him  as  he  was  driven 
by,  though  it  was  too  dark  to  distinguish  who  he 
was.  His  driver  was  somewhat  the  worse  for  liquor, 
so  Clay  forebore  from  asking  any  questions. 

His  servant,  to  whom  he  had  sent  a  telegram, 
awaited  him  at  the  door  with  a  candle.  The  poor 
old  man  trembled  with  delight  as  he  shook  his  mas 
ter's  hand,  and  hastened  to  show  Clay  into  the  din 
ing-room,  where  a  fire  was  burning,  and  some  food 
was  on  the  table,  apologizing  for  not  having  lighted 
up  the  house  generally  on  the  ground  that  there 
was  great  excitement  in  the  town,  and  talk  of  vio 
lence. 

•'And  is  it  true,  Master  Ernest,"  he  asked,  as  he 
took  Clay's  overcoat,  "  that  your  mill  has  failed  ? " 

"  Yes,  Gregory.  But  I  have  not  owned  any  of 
the  stock  in  it  for  nearly  two  years." 

"  Heaven  be  praised  for  that.  I  dreamt  last  night 
that  you  were  ruined." 

"  Not  yet,  Gregory.  But  you  were  right  to  keep 
the  house  dark.  What  is  the  cause  of  the  disturb 
ance  ? " 

"  Lord  only  knows,  sir.     They  never  seem  to  un« 


FACE    TO  FACE.  359 

derstand  when  they're  well  off.  These  new  ideas 
about  the  rights  of  the  laboring  man  puzzle  me,  Mas 
ter  Ernest.  This  lady  over  at  'Highlands' — Miss 
Pimlico—  she's  good  and  kind  may  be  (I've  heard 
tell  she  were),  but  it's  along  of  her,  to  my  thinking, 
that  the  mill's  failed.  Before  she  come  here  a  poor 
man  was  content  with  the  pay  of  an  honest  day's 
work,  let  alone  what  his  betters  might  make.  Now 
he  wants  his  meals  three  times  a  day,  pipin'  hot,  and 
his  own  carriage  and  horses.  And,  saving  your  pres 
ence,  she  a  lady  born  and  bred  !  " 

"  I  suppose  the  hands  are  angry  at  being  thrown 
out  of  employment  by  the  suspension  of  the  mill  ?  " 

"Yes,  they're  angry,"  said  the  old  man  slowly; 
"but  I'm  thinking  they've  been  stirred  up  on  pur 
pose  to  make  them  angry.  There've  been  grum 
blings  going  on  long  before  there  was  any  talk  of 
the  mill  failing,  and  there've  been  parties — strangers 
in  the  town — with  nothing  better  to  do  than  whis 
pering  round  among  the  men,  telling  them  how 
much  better  off  the  help  in  the  Wisabet  were,  and 
how,  if  they  made  fuss  enough,  they'd  be  treated  the 
same.  I  guess  I  ain't  far  wrong  in  holding  the 
opinion  that  the  lady  I  just  spoke  of  is  at  the  bot 
tom  of  the  whole  business.  She'll  lay  the  blame  on 
De  Vito,  I  dare  say  ;  but  though  he  has  left  her  ser 
vice  there's  those  will  tell  you  it  is  only  make-be 
lieve,  and  that  they're  working  together  in  secret." 

"  Why,  is  De  Vito  in  town  ? "  inquired  Clay,  look 
ing  up  from  his  supper. 

"  May  be  he  is,  and  may  be  not,"  said  Gregory, 


360  FACE    TO  FACE. 

wagging  his  head.  "  It  isn't  likely  if  he  were  he'd 
give  out  that  he  was." 

Clay  smiled.  "  You're  something  of  a  philoso 
pher  I  see,"  he  said.  "  And  so  poor  old  Mary  Ann 
is  dead,"  he  added.  "  You  must  be  very  lonely  with 
out  her." 

"Yes,  Master  Ernest,  and  I  shan't  be  long  in  fol 
lowing  her,  now  that  I've  lived  to  see  you  again. 
Almost  the  last  words  my  old  woman  spoke  was, 
'  Take  good  care  of  Master  Ernest  when  I'm  gone.'  " 

"  She  was  a  dear  old  soul.  You  have  both  of  you 
been  true  friends  to  me,"  answered  Clay,  tenderly. 

"  I  have  tried  to  do  my  duty.  But  I'm  getting 
old,  and  I'm  not  so  steady  on  my  legs  as  I  used  to 
be.  It's  time  for  me  to  be  under  the  sod,  Master 
Ernest.  If  I  may  make  so  bold,  I  wish  you  luck  of 
a  good  wife.  Your  father  was  married,  and  Mary 
Ann  and  I  have  often  said  that  some  day  you'd  be 
bringing  home  your  bride." 

"  Yes,  Gregory,  it's  high  time  I  was  married. 
You're  quite  right,"  said  Clay  with  a  sigh.  He 
pushed  away  his  plate.  "  I'm  not  very  hungry, 
Gregory  ;  I  dined  late.  Fetch  me  my  valise.  Stop. 
Open  it  and  bring  me  my  writing  materials.  I  have 
some  letters  to  write  before  I  go  to  bed.  I  will 
leave  one  on  the  table,  which  I  want  you  to  take 
over  to  'Highlands'  the  very  first  thing  in  the  morn 
ing." 

Gregory's  face  lighted  up,  and  he  said,  "You're 
going  to  bring  the  lady  to  her  senses,  I'll  be  bound 
I  always  knew  you  would  when  you  got  back." 


FACE    TO  FACE.  361 

"  Her  senses  ? "  Clay  gave  a  short  laugh.  "  Miss 
Pimlico,"  he  said,  "  has  more  sense  in  one  of  her  lit 
tle  fingers  than  you  and  I  have  in  our  whole  bodies, 
Gregory.  So  don't  forget  to  deliver  the  letter,"  he 
added,  as  he  noticed  the  old  servant's  bewildered  ex 
pression. 

Left  alone  by  himself  Clay  lit  a  cigar,  and  open 
ing  his  portfolio  sat  for  a  long  time  staring  at  the 
blotter.  Then  he  took  a  pen  and  wrote. 


XVIII. 

ON  tne  following  morning,  shortly  after  nine 
o'clock,  Andrew  De  Vito  rang  at  the  entrance 
to  "Highlands."  The  servant  who  let  him  in  threw 
open  the  door  of  the  library,  saying, 

"  Walk  in,  sir.     Miss  Pimlico  is  expecting  you." 

De  Vito  stared  at  the  girl.  "  Expecting  me  ?  "  he 
said.  Then  without  waiting  for  an  answer  he  ad 
vanced  to  greet  Evelyn,  who,  as  the  door  opened, 
had  arisen  from  her  seat  and  taken  several  steps 
toward  him. 

"Why,  De  Vito!"  she  exclaimed  in  surprise. 
"  Is  it  you  ?  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you.  I  have 
missed  you  more  than  I  can  describe,"  she  added. 
"  Sit  down  and  tell  me  about  yourself." 

"  I  am  disturbing  you,"  he  said,  a  little  formally, 
noticing  that  she  seemed  somewhat  confused.  "  The 
servant  said  you  were  expecting  some  one." 

"  I  will  admit  I  thought  you  were  Mr.  Clay,  when 
you  opened  the  door.  I  am  expecting  a  visit  from 
him — my  next-door  neighbor,  you  know,  the  owner 
of  'Seven  Oaks.'  He  arrived  last  night,"  she  an 
swered.  "  But  I'm  delighted  to  see  you.  Do  tell 
me  you  have  come  to  say  that  you  wish  to  take 


FACE   TO  FACE.  363 

your  old  place  again.  Then  I  should  be  happy 
indeed." 

Evelyn  spoke  with  enthusiasm.  Her  eyes  were 
radiant,  and  she  awaited  his  response  with  evident 
eagerness. 

"  No,"  De  Vito  said,  "  I've  not  come  for  that.  It's 
not  easy  to  say  exactly  why  I  have  come." 

He  sat  leaning  forward  from  the  edge  of  his  chair, 
with  his  cap  in  his  hands. 

"  To  congratulate  me,  perhaps.  To  admit  that 
my  way  is  a  better  one  than  you  thought  it  was," 
she  said  with  a  happy  sm\le. 

"  You've  done  well,"  he  answered  laconically. 
"  I  told  you  the  machine  would  work.  But  the 
principle  remains  the  same.  There's  other  mills 
besides  the  Clyme  Valley." 

"  Hark  !  what  was  that  noise  ?  "  exclaimed  Evelyn. 

They  both  listened  a  moment,  and  a  troubled  ex 
pression  came  over  her  face. 

"  It's  the  men  who've  been  discharged  by  Storrs. 
They've  been  drinking  hard  all  night,"  said  De  Vito. 

"  Is  there  likely  to  be  trouble  ?  How  negligent 
of  me  !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  I  had  intended  to  go  to 
town  early  to  see  what  could  be  done,  but — but 
other  matters  interfered.  I  heard  from  my  man 
ager  last  night  that  there  were  threats  of  violence. 
I  told  him  to  engage  all  the  men  from  the  Clyme 
Valley  we  had  places  for.  I  only  wish  I  could  en 
gage  the  whole  of  them,  poor  creatures.  But  what 
is  to  be  gained  by  making  trouble  now  ?  The 
company  has  failed." 


364  FACE    TO  FACE. 

"  Can  you  expect  that  men  and  women  who've 
been  ground  down  into  the  mud,  to  be  tossed  aside 
like  sucked  oranges,  when  there's  no  further  use 
for  them  will  be  very  grateful  ?  Can  you  expect 
them,  lady,  not  to  complain  a  little  ?  Would  it  be 
altogether  surprising  if  they  were  to  say  to  one  an 
other,  '  Since  the  old  mill  has  no  further  use  for  us, 
we've  no  further  use  for  her.  Let's  pull  her  down, 
boys.'  I've  said  nothing  of  the  sort  to  them.  I'm  only 
saying  to  you  what  they  might  say  to  one  another." 

"  Is  that  what  they  propose  to  do  ?  "  she  asked, 
with  dismay. 

"  I  can't  tell  you,  lady.  It's  no  affair  of  mine. 
My  part  was  over  when  the  mill  failed." 

"Your  part  ?" 

"Yes.  My  men — the  agents  of  the  union — have 
been  here  working  for  a  strike  during  the  last 
three  months.  There  would  have  been  one,  only 
the  mill  failed.  If  you  hadn't  succeeded,  I  should 
have.  You  see  I'm  frank.  You  and  I  have  been 
working  together  after  all." 

"  Then  you  will  help  me  to  preserve  order  ?"  she 
asked  eagerly. 

"What  could  we  do  ?  There's  no  use  in  reason 
ing  with  men  who  are  crazy  drunk.  When  they 
come  to  their  senses  the  danger  will  be  over.  In  the 
meanwhile  one  must  trust  for  the  best — or  the  worst 
— according  to  one's  personal  inclinations." 

Evelyn  gazed  at  him  with  a  disturbed  air.  "To 
think  that  this  should  be  happening  to-day  ! "  she 
murmured. 


FACE   TO   FACE. 

"  It  is  happening  every  day.  But  why  not  to-day, 
lady?" 

"I  will  tell  you,  De  Vito"  she  said,  looking  at  him 
with  lustrous  eyes.  "  This  morning  I  learned  for 
the  first  time  who  was  the  inventor  of  the  machine 
which  has  enabled  me  to  succeed." 

"  Well,  who  was  it  ? "  he  asked  with  some  gruff- 
ness. 

"  It  was  Mr.  Clay,  my  neighbor,  whom  I  told  you 
a  moment  ago  I  was  expecting  a  visit  from." 

"Ah!"  De  Vito  exclaimed,  and  he  frowned 
slightly.  "  He  is  the  principle  owner  of  the  Clyme 
Valley  Company,  as  I  remember  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  believe  so." 

"And  he  sent  you  the  patent  instead  of  letting  his 
own  mill  have  it  ? " 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  while  a  deep  flush  rose  to 
her  cheek.  "  I  knew  nothing  of  it  until  this  morn 
ing.  I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  him  an 
nouncing  the  fact.  I  mention  it,"  she  exclaimed 
earnestly,  "to  prove  what  I  said  a  year  ago,  that  there 
are  others  in  my  class  who  feel  as  I  do.  I  can  ex 
plain  nothing  until  I  see  Mr.  Clay.  I  have  told  you 
all  I  know.  He  has  been  abroad  for  several  years." 

"Do  you  know  him  well  ?"  he  inquired,  after  a 
moment. 

"Yes.     He  was  one  of  the  party  at  Mr.  Brock's." 

"  I  remember,"  De  Vito  answered.  "  He  will  tell 
you,  as  I  have  told  you,"  he  continued  presently, 
"that  what  you  are  attempting  is  perfectly  vain  and 
futile.  What  has  his  invention  of  a  new  machine 


366  .  FACE    TO   FACE. 

to  do  with  the  question  ?  It  has  saved  you  from  faiU 
ing  for  a  moment,  but  that  proves  nothing.  It  is  a 
mere  fluke — an  accident.  The  moment  that  machine 
becomes  common  property,  so  that  your  margin  of 
profit  is  not  large  enough  to  allow  you  to  carry  on 
your  philanthropic  schemes  where  will  you  be  ? 
He  will  tell  you  that  the  pay  of  labor  must  be  gov 
erned  by  the  law  of  supply  and  demand,  and  that  if 
a  man  will  work  for  five  dollars  a  week  no  one  will 
be  fool  enough  to  give  him  ten.  That's  common- 
sense — the  common-sense  of  the  world,  and  the 
world  will  never  cease  to  be  satisfied  with  the  argu 
ment  until  it's  compelled  to.  Your  theories  are 
mere  moonshine.  You  can  accomplish  nothing." 

"And  yet,  De  Vito,  you  believed  in  them  once," 
she  said. 

"  No,  it  was  you  I  believed  in,"  he  answered.  "  I 
was  in  your  service  ;  I  carried  out  your  plans — but 
what  was  the  reason  ?  Because  it  was  you  who  em 
ployed  me."  He  stopped  short  and  stood  gazing  at 
her  with  flashing  eyes.  "  For  the  same  reason,"  he 
said,  "that  I  have  come  back  here  to-day;  because 
I  like  to  look  into  your  face  ;  because  I  cannot  bear 
to  live  without  you  ;  because — great  God,  yes,  why 
shouldn't  I  say  it  ? — because  I  love  you." 

Evelyn  gave  a  gasp  of  astonishment.  "  You,  De 
Vito ! " 

"Yes,  I,  lady.  I  love  you — I  adore  you.  You 
know  it  all  now,  I  have  loved  you  from  the  very 
first  moment  that  we  met,  from  that  day  in  the  wood, 
more  than  four  years  ago,  when  I  spoke  to  you  like 


FACE    TO  FACE.  367 

a  brute.  It  was  because  I  loved  you  that  I  peered 
into  the  window  on  the  night  when  you  were  as 
saulted.  I  didn't  know  then  how  to  name  what  I 
felt,  but  I  am  no  longer  in  doubt.  I  would  give  up 
everything  else  in  the  world  to  have  you  for  my  wife 
— yes,  my  wife.  You  shall  listen  to  me.  Has  not  a 
working-man  a  soul — is  he  not  capable  of  loving  ? " 

"  De  Vito,  you  must  not  go  on — you  must  not." 

"  Must  not !  What's  to  prevent  ?  Is  there  any 
thing  wrong  in  telling  you  that  I  am  burning 
through  and  through  with  a  passion  that  is  eating 
into  my  soul  as  fire  eats  into  iron  ?  You  shrink 
from  me.  Is  it  so  horrible  to  be  loved  by  a  work 
ing-man  ? " 

Evelyn  looked  up  at  him.  Her  face  was  very 
pale.  "  I  do  not  mean  to  shrink  from  you,"  she 
said,  gently.  "  But — but  you  do  not  understand 
what  you  ask,  De  Vito." 

"  Do  not  understand  what  I  ask  ? "  he  cried  fever 
ishly.  "  Yes,  I  do  understand.  You  are  a  lady,  so 
called,  I,  one  of  the  common  people.  Is  that  a 
reason  why  I  should  not  love  you,  or  you  should  not 
return  my  love  ?  Could  I  not  work  for  you,  fight 
for  you,  die  for  you  as  well  as  another  ?  Is  my 
heart  any  less  big  than  another's  ? " 

"  It  would  be  difficult  to  enter  into  explanations, 
De  Vito,"  she  replied,  in  a  still  more  gentle  tone. 
"  You  must  see,  though,  that  what  you  ask  of  me  is 
utterly  impossible." 

"  See  !  "  he  ejaculated.  "  Yes,  I  see  that  it  is  im 
possible  according  to  the  shallow  code  to  which  your 


368  FACE    TO  FACE. 

class  owes  allegiance  ;  but  I  have  dreamed,  lady,  that 
you  were  different  from  the  rest  of  your  class,  that 
your  soul  was  noble  enough  and  independent 
enough  to  burst  the  fetters  of  conventionality  and 
prejudice.  But  I  am  mistaken.  I  see  that,  at  least 
you  have  not  the  strength  to  throw  them  off.  just 
as  you  had  not  the  courage  to  follow  me  when  I 
pointed  out  to  you  the  true  way  to  help  the  world. 
Enter  into  explanations  ?  It  is  not  necessary.  I 
understand  why  you  disdain  me."  He  spoke  more 
slowly,  and  with  deep  bitterness. 

"  I  do  not  disdain  you,  De  Vito.  Far  from  it.  I 
respect  and  love  you — only  not  in  such  a  way  that  I 
could  consent  to  become  your  wife,"  she  answered. 
"  You  have  been  everything  to  me,  friend,  adviser, 
protector — but " 

"  But,"  he  interposed,  fiercely,  "  all  this  counts  for 
nothing  when  weighed  in  the  balance  with  what  I 
am  not.  I  know  what  I  lack,  as  I  told  you  once 
before.  You  shrink  from  me — you  did  shrink  from 
me,  for  I  saw  repulsion  in  your  face — because  my 
body  is  coarse,  because  I  am  rough  and  unpolished. 
You  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  being  fondled  by 
these  callous  hands,  of  being  kissed  by  these  lips 
— I  could  have  kissed  you  once,  why  did  I  spare 
you  ?  I  have  strength,  will,  energy.  I  am  in  earn 
est  and  believe  in  something.  But  yet  you  would 
rather  die  than  lay  your  aristocratic  head  on  the 
pillow  beside  mine.  You  cannot  deny  it,"  he  cried, 
sweeping  back  his  hair  from  his  brow  with  an  in 
dignant  gesture.  "  It  only  proves  once  more 


FACE    TO  FACE.  369 

there  can  be  no  hope  of  compromise  or  compact 
between  such  as  you,  and  such  as  I.  Only  when  we 
take,  will  you  give.  Your  gods  are  form  and  cere 
mony,  and  to  them  you  are  ready  to  sacrifice  every 
thing  else.  Tell  me,"  he  asked,  setting  his  teeth, 
"  Is  there  a  father  among  you  who  would  not  con 
sider  it  a  greater  misfortune  to  have  his  daughter 
marry  a  respectable  mechanic  than  a  fashionable 
rake  ?  Go,  then,  and  marry  some  lily-fingered,  cold 
blooded  dandy,  whose  ability  to  bow  and  scrape 
makes  him  my  superior.  Perhaps,"  he  added,  with 
an  ugly  sneer  as  a  sudden  thought  seemed  to  strike 
him,  "  you've  fallen  in  love  with  the  inventor  of 
your  patent — the  fine  gentleman  yonder,  who  owns 
the  mill  that  has  been  squeezing  the  life-blood  out 
of  the  wretched.  Fool  that  I  was,"  he  muttered, 
noticing  the  confusion  evident  in  Evelyn's  face.  "  I 
might  have  known  it !  " 

For  an  instant  she  did  not  reply.  A  crimson  flush 
mounted  to  her  cheeks,  and  her  eyes  were  full  of 
indignation.  She  sprang  from  her  seat  and  stood 
with  her  hand  resting  on  the  back  of  the  chair. 

"  How  dare  you  speak  so,  De  Vito  ? "  she  said. 

He  gave  a  disagreeable,  bitter  laugh. 

"Well,  then,"  she  continued,  in  a  measured  tone, 
"  I  am  in  love  with  Mr.  Clay.  I  am  going  to 
marry  him.  When  you  abuse  him,  you  abuse  the 
man  whom  I  have  chosen  as  a  husband." 

"  Ah  !  "  he  muttered,  clinching  his  fingers.  "  Curse 
him." 

They  stood  looking  at  one  another  angrily. 
24 


370  FACE   TO  FACE. 

At  this  moment  the  door  was  thrown  open,  and 
Clay  appeared  on  the  threshold.  He  stared  in  sur 
prise,  and  was  about  to  withdraw,  when  the  voice  of 
De  Vito  crying  "  Stop  !  "  detained  him. 

Clay  turned,  and,  advancing  toward  them,  clasped 
Evelyn's  hand,  then  looked  interrogatively  from  her 
to  De  Vito. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ? "  he  asked. 

De  Vito  was  gazing  at  him  with  rage  and  hate. 
"  I  have  just  heard  the  news.  I  want  to  congratu 
late  you,"  he  said. 

"What  news,  sir?" 

"  Mr.  Clay,"  said  Evelyn,  "  listen  to  me  a  mo 
ment.  I  will  inform  you.  This  man  is  Andrew 
De  Vito.  You  know  about  him,  I  think.  He  has 
been  my  friend  and  faithful  co-operator  in  my  work 
here.  He  has  just  made  me  an  offer  of  marriage. 
I  have  told  him  that  I  was  engaged  to  you — that 
you  were  to  be  my  husband." 

As  she  spoke,  she  smiled  sweetly  and  trustingly  at 
him.  Their  eyes  met  for  one  moment,  as  Clay 
stared  in  bewildered  astonishment.  He  strode  for 
ward  and  put  his  arm  about  her,  and  then  turned 
toward  De  Vito. 

"Well,  sir,"  he  cried.  "  What  is  it  that  you  want 
of  me  ?  " 

"  I  wanted  to  see  the  man  who  has  stolen  her  from 
me — the  man  who  has  come  between  me  and  her." 

"  Come  between  you  and  her  ?  You  seem  not  to 
know  that  Miss  Pimlico  and  I  were  friends  before 
you  ever  saw  her.  At  any  rate,  do  you  conside/ 


FACE    TO   FACE,  371 

that  your  present  tone  and  attitude  are  consistent 
with  the  feeling  which  you  profess  to  entertain  to 
ward  her  ?  "  said  Clay. 

"  My  manners  are  not  good  enough  for  you,  eh  ? 
I  suppose  not,"  he  answered,  with  a  sneer.  "  Per 
haps  you  will  teach  me.  Yours  ought  to  be  perfect, 
since  your  life  has  been  spent  in  acquiring  them." 

"  I  should  begin  by  showing  you  the  door." 

A  dangerous  light  gleamed  in  De  Vito's  eyes. 

"Be  moderate,  Ernest,  be  moderate,"  murmured 
Evelyn,  laying  her  hand  on  Clay's  shoulder.  "  You 
forget  that  he  is  very  unhappy." 

"You  need  not  fear,  lady.  I  shall  not  injure 
him,"  said  De  Vito,  with  a  scornful  laugh;  "though 
I  could  strangle  him  where  he  stands,  if  I  saw  fit." 

"Yes,  you  could  strangle  me,  and  you  would  be 
hung  for  doing  so,"  answered  Clay,  after  a  moment. 
"  But  what  use  would  that  be  to  either  of  us  ?  My 
physical  strength,  of  course,  is  less  than  yours.  Any 
one  would  perceive  at  a  glance  that  you  were  a 
more  than  ordinarily  powerful  man,  I  rather  below 
the  average  than  otherwise.  Your  argument  is  that 
of  a  bully.  You  see  I  am  not  afraid  of  you,"  he 
continued,  quietly.  "  But  Miss  Pimlico  is  right. 
She  has  reminded  me  that  you  are  under  the  influ 
ence  of  unusual  excitement.  I  have  no  wish  to  be 
disagreeable  or  to  add  to  your  distress.  I  know 
how  devoted  your  services  have  been  to  Miss  Pim 
lico,  and  with  what  untiring  energy  you  managed 
her  affairs  so  long  as  you  remained  her  superin 
tendent.  She  feels  deeply  indebted  to  you,  and  so 


372  FACE    TO  FACE. 

do  I.  We  ought  to  be  friends  instead  of  quarrel 
ling.  Why  should  you  bear  me  malice  ? "  Clay 
added,  as  De  Vito  stood  sullenly  gnawing  his  lip. 
"If  you  have  loved  Miss  Pimlico,  so  have  I.  I  have 
loved  her  for  years.  I  happen  to  have  won,  that's 
all.  I  ask  your  pardon  for  my  rudeness.  Here  is 
my  hand,  if  you  will  take  it.  Come,  can  we  not  be 
friends  ? " 

"  Yes,  De  Vito,"  cried  Evelyn,  eagerly,  "  be  friends 
for  my  sake.  You  don't  know  how  unhappy  I  should 
feel  at  the  thought  of  any  ill-will  between  you  and 
Mr.  Clay.  I  never  can  be  grateful  enough  to  you 
for  all  your  attachment  to  me." 

De  Vito  regarded  Clay's  outstretched  hand,  and 
shook  his  head. 

"  It  would  be  no  use,  lady,"  he  said,  addressing 
Evelyn.  "This  gentleman  and  I  could  never  be 
friends.  You  have  made  your  choice  between  us. 
He  has  won,  as  he  has  said.  Let  me  go." 

He  stooped  to  pick  up  his  cap,  which  had  fallen 
to  the  floor.  Then,  turning  to  Clay,  whose  face  be 
trayed  a  shadow  of  irritation,  in  consequence  of  this 
rebuff,  he  added,  in  a  tone  of  dignity  from  which 
some  of  the  bitterness  seemed  to  have  subsided. 

"  I  have  no  right  to  bear  you  malice.  You  love 
her.  Well  and  good.  I  am  in  the  way  here."  He 
made  a  step  or  two  toward  the  door,  then  halted  and 
looked  round.  "  Friends  ? "  he  echoed.  "  Were 
we  friends  the  first  time  we  met,  four  years  ago  ?  I 
was  a  striker  then  and  you  a  mill  owner.  The  same 
difference  exists  between  us  to-day  as  did  then." 


FACE    TO  FACE.  373 

"  How  so  ?  "  asked  Clay. 

"  I  am  a  striker  still.  As  I  told  Miss  Pimlico  be 
fore  you  came  in,  men  whom  I  control  have  been 
working  day  and  night  to  cause  trouble  in  your  mill. 
There  would  have  been  trouble,  too,  had  the  com 
pany  not  failed.  There  may  be  trouble  yet,  of  an 
other  sort,  for  all  you  or  I  can  do  to  prevent  it." 

"  I  sold  my  entire  interest  in  the  Clyme  Valley 
Company  more  than  two  years  ago,"  answered  Clay. 
"  You  did  not  know  that,  perhaps  ? "  he  asked  of 
Evelyn,  with  a  smile. 

"  No,  I  did  riot  know  it,"  she  said,  softly. 

There  was  a  short  silence.  De  Vito  had  folded 
his  arms  and  stood  with  his  chin  resting  on  one 
hand. 

"Look  here,  sir,"  he  said.  "This  is  the  long  and 
short  of  this  matter.  It  isn't  any  question  of  shak 
ing  hands  or  of  owning  stock  in  this  or  that  mill. 
We  can't  be  friends,  because  we  could  never  agree. 
You're  a  gentleman  and  I'm  a  workingman.  You 
represent  power  and  luxury,  I  suffering  and  degra 
dation.  Miss  Pimlico  knows  my  views.  There's 
no  use  in  repeating  them  here  to  you." 

"  Pardon  me,  there  is  every  reason  in  repeating 
them  to  me.  I  am  intensely  interested  in  the  sub 
ject,"  said  Clay,  with  earnestness. 

"  And  why  are  you  interested  ?  Because  she  is  in 
terested,"  said  De  Vito,  almost  savagely,  and  he  nod 
ded  toward  Evelyn.  "  Did  the  relations  between  the 
poor  and  the  rich  ever  concern  you  before  you  met 
her  ?  Answer  me  that" 


374  FACE    TO  FACE. 

"  Indeed  they  did,  De  Vito,"  exclaimed  Evelyn. 
"  You  wrong  him  terribly  in  saying  that.  On  the 
contrary,  it  is  I  who  was  spurred  on  by  him." 

Clay  put  out  his  arm  to  check  her  as  she  sought 
to  step  forward  in  the  heat  of  her  advocacy. 

"You  are  right,"  he  replied  to  De  Vito,  flushing. 
"  I  thought  of  them  often  enough,  but  until  I  met 
Miss  Pimlico  I  never  busied  myself  in  regard  to 
them." 

"You  fell  in  love  with  her,  and  in  order  to  please 
her  you  set  to  work  and  invented  a  machine.  You 
were  lucky.  It  was  a  good  machine.  It  has  helped 
her  for  the  moment.  But  it  is  her  you  love.  It  is 
her  influence  that  is  working  in  you.  You  are  an 
aristocrat  at  heart." 

"No  more  than  /am  an  aristocrat,"  said  Evelyn. 

"No,"  De  Vito  cried,  turning  toward  her  with 
flashing  eyes.  "  That  is  why  I  hate  him — why  I  can 
almost  hate  you.  There  was  hope  for  you.  You  had 
of  your  own  accord,  of  your  own  instinct,  thrown  off 
the  shackles  and  dared  to  be  free.  I  had  faith  in 
you — I  believed — did  I  not  have  it  from  your  own 
lips  ? — that  you  were  afraid  of  nothing.  I  let  you 
have  your  own  way,  trusting  that  when  your  eyes 
were  opened  to  the  futility  of  your  schemes,  you 
would  have  the  courage  to  persevere  and  take  the 
other  step  that  lay  between  you  and  perfect  liberty. 
The  time  came,  as  I  had  known  it  would,  when  you 
realized  the  uselessness  of  spending  your  time  and 
money  in  the  pursuit  of  phantoms.  For  a  moment 
you  did  realize  this,  and  you  hesitated.  It  was  the 


FACE    TO  FACE.  375 

hesitation  which  precedes  the  act.  Your  mind  was 
all  but  made  up  to  ally  yourself  with  me,  when  this 
man  came  between  us  with  his  gift  and  his  love  let 
ter." 

"  But  I  did  not  then  know  that  it  was  Mr.  Clay 
who  sent  them,"  interrupted  Evelyn. 

"  You  did  not  know,  but  did  you  not  guess?  Can 
you  tell  me  that  you  did  not  feel  sure  that  it  was 
he  ?  I  remember  your  face  at  the  time,"  De  Vito 
cried. 

"  I  hoped  it  was  he,"  she  answered,  and  she 
glanced  shyly  at  Clay.  "  But  I  did  not  love  him 
then." 

"  And  why  do  you  love  him  now  ?  Compare  us 
together,  him  and  me.  Look  at  us  as  we  stand 
here  before  you.  He  has  already  admitted  that  I'm 
stronger  in  body  than  he,  and  that  I  could  cripple 
him  with  a  blow  from  my  fist.  In  what  ways  is  he 
my  superior?  I  know  what  his  life  has  been.  Has 
he  energy,  has  he  enthusiasm,  has  he  a  warm  heart  ? 
His  blood  runs  cold  and  sluggishly.  He  is  the  slave 
of  narrow  prejudices  and  conventionalities  which 
sap  true  manhood.  Love  you  ?  Can  the  feeble, 
starvelling  sentiment  which  men  of  his  class  enter 
tain  toward  the  women  they  would  marry  be  digni 
fied  with  the  name  of  love  ?  Heaven  forbid.  1 
could  teach  him  how  to  love,  in  exchange  for  those 
manners  which  he  was  kind  enough  to  insinuate  he 
would  give  me  lessons  in."  De  Vito  paused  and 
looked  defiantly  from  one  to  the  other.  "  He  will 
make  you  a  slave  again,  lady,  like  himself.  He  will 


376  FACE   TO  FACE. 

make  a  toy — a  plaything  of  you.  You  will  sit  at 
gorgeous  feasts,  and  ride  grandly  and  haughtily  in 
your  own  carriage,  as  the  rich  and  powerful  have 
always  done.  You've  made  your  choice.  He  has 
won  you  by  a  trick.  Ask  him.  He'll  acknowledge 
it.  He  will  tell  you  that  your  schemes  for  reform 
are  mere  air-bubbles,  that  will  not  bear  the  test  of 
common  sense  ;  that  if  you  keep  on  in  the  path  you 
are  pursuing  you'll  come  to  grief  ;  that  you  owe 
your  present  seeming  triumph — to  what  ? — to  the 
fact  that  you  are  a  monopolist  yourself  for  the 
time  being,  to  the  fact  that  you  have  prospered  at 
the  expense  of  others.  There  is  only  one  way, 
lady — as  he  knows — of  accomplishing  what  you 
would  like  to  see  accomplished.  I  showed  it  to  you 
— and  he  is  responsible  that  you  shrink  from  it — 
and  from  me.  No,  we  cannot  be  friends." 

As  he  paused  anew,  Evelyn,  who  had  listened  to 
his  invectives  with  increasing  excitement  and  indig 
nation,  was  on  the  point  of  making  reply,  but  Clay, 
foreseeing  her  intention,  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  of  de 
cision — 

"  Leave  this  man  to  me." 

Then  he  faced  upon  De  Vito  and,  after  surveying 
him  a  moment,  said,  collectedly  : 

"  You  have  too  unflattering  an  opinion  of  me 
already  for  me  to  care  what  you  may  think  of  my 
unwillingness  to  expose  myself  to  personal  injury 
by  resenting  your  insolence  in  the  manner  that 
many  might  think  necessary."  Clay  paused  a  mo 
ment,  as  though  to  gain  composure.  "  Besides,"  he 


FACE    TO  FACE.  377 

said,  "  there  is  a  certain  amount  of  truth  in  what  you 
have  stated.  Compared  with  this  lady,  I  am  indeed 
small  and  puny  in  every  way.  I  did  not  require  you 
to  inform  me  of  that.  I  have  told  her  so  myself  be 
fore  this.  I  am  unworthy  of  her — utterly  unworthy 
of  her.  ,  Her  soul  so  far  transcends  mine  in  beauty, 
and  vigor,  and  courage,  that  I  can  scarcely  believe 
that  she  has  consented  to  become  my  wife.  Yes,  my 
blood  runs  cold  and  sluggishly.  You  are  right.  I 
understand  you.  I  represent  luxury  and  ease,  and 
an  idle  existence.  I  have  a  plethora  of  money.  I 
am  the  supersubtle,  cynical,  exquisite  outcome  of 
advanced  civilization.  You  are  right  again  ;  she  has 
emancipated  herself  from  this,  she  has  soared  above 
this.  And  you  say  that,  but  for  me,  she  would  soar 
higher  still.  What  is  it  that  you  offer  her  ?  What 
is  it  you  would  have  her  do  ?" 

Clay  stopped  as  though  waiting  for  an  answer, 
but  De  Vito  did  not  speak. 

"  I've  heard  what  you  think  of  me,"  Clay  con 
tinued.  "  I'm  a  gentleman,  capitalist,  monopolist, 
idler,  oppressor,  autocrat — what  you  will.  I  repre 
sent  the  faults  and  limitations  of  civilization.  Very 
good.  Now,  what  do  you  stand  for  ?  You're  An 
drew  De  Vito,  laboring  man,  radical,  striker,  mal 
content,  sufferer,  socialist.  You  impersonate  the 
deadly  foes  of  civilization,  sworn  to  destroy  it.  You 
stand  for  misery,  laziness,  crime,  degradation,  ig 
norance,  filth.  Are  we  agreed  ?" 

"  Well  ? "  replied  De  Vito,  gruffly. 

"In  short,  I'm  capital  and  you're  labor.     Here 


3/8  PACE   TO  PACE. 

we  are  face  to  face,  with  this  woman  between  u& 
'  Hold  ! '  she  says,  '  you  are  both  wrong.'  I,  for  one, 
am  ready  to  listen." 

De  Vito  shook  his  head.  "  This  ground  has  been 
gone  over  already.  It  is  too  late.  There  are  too 
few  of  you,"  he  answered. 

"  Grant  that  her  experiment  is  a  failure — a  mere 
bubble  that  will  not  bear  the  test  of  common  sense. 
It  is  a  beginning.  Hers  is  the  only  way.  Other 
wise " 

Clay  paused,  interrupted  by  the  loud,  deep  mur 
mur  from  the  town,  this  time  unmistakable  in  its 
character,  which  again  made  itself  heard. 

"D'ye  hear  that?  Do  you  know  what  that  means  ?" 
cried  De  Vito,  a  joyful  light  sparkling  in  his  eyes. 

"Yes,  I  know." 

"  It  is  the  voice  of  misery,  laziness,  crime,  degra 
dation,  ignorance,  filth.  Otherwise  ?  There  is  your 
answer.  We  understand  each  other,  I  see." 

"  Scoundrel,  do  you  dare  to  threaten  ? "  Clay 
exclaimed.  "  Yes,  I  will,  Evelyn,"  he  said,  as  the 
young  woman  sprang  forward  to  restrain  him.  "  We 
have  borne  this  fellow's  insolence  long  enough. 
Leave  this  house,"  he  cried  to  De  Vito.  "  Leave  it, 
or  I  will  have  the  servants  put  you  out.  Hercules 
as  you  are,  there  are  men  enough  below  to  do  that, 
even  if  I  cannot." 

Clay  turned  to  the  bell-rope  and  rang,  then  turned 
and  confronted  his  adversary,  whose  face  was  even 
more  distorted  with  anger  than  his  own. 

With  a  cry  Evelyn  threw  herself  between  them. 


FACE   TO  FACE.  379 

"  Stop — stop — for  my  sake.  You  are  both  wrong. 
You  say  you  love  me." 

The  two  men  were  so  close  to  each  other  that  she 
was  all  that  kept  them  apart. 

"  I  will  get  down  on  my  knees  and  beg,  if  it  is 
necessary,  but  you  shall  not  fight,"  she  cried,  clasp 
ing  her  hands. 

A  servant  appeared  in  answer  to  the  bell,  and 
through  the  doorway  a  new  and  more  vociferous 
swell  of  tumult  was  borne  in. 

"  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  De  Vito.    "  Do  you  hear  that  ?  " 

"  Go,"  shouted  Clay,  pointing  with  his  finger, 
though  Evelyn  had  put  her  arms  about  his  neck 
and  was  holding  him  back. 

"Yes,  I  will  go,"  said  De  Vito.  He  jammed  his 
cap  imperiously  on  his  head  and  strode  from  the 
room. 

Evelyn,  loosening  her  hold  upon  her  lover,  sank 
into  a  chair,  and  burst  into  violent  sobbing. 

Clay  knelt  beside  her.  "Forgive  me,  darling," 
he  cried.  "  I  was  wrong,  but  I  could  not  help  it. 
I  arn  only  human,  and  his  insults  were  so  galling." 

"  And  is  what  you  said  true — really  true  ? "  he 
asked,  as  she  raised  her  head  at  last,  and  looked  at 
him  through  her  tears.  "  Do  you  really  love  me  ? " 

"  Yes,  Ernest,  I  love  you.  I  think  I  have  loved 
you  always." 

"  Thank  God  for  that.  But  I  am  not  worthy  of 
you.  What  De  Vito  said  was  true  also.  I  am  nar- 
row-souled,  and  small-natured,  and  petty." 

"  Hush  ! "  she  murmured. 


380  PACE   TO  FACE. 

11  It  is  true,  though.  It  is  you,  dearest,  who  are 
strong,  and  broad,  and  brave." 

"  But  my  experiment  here,  do  you  too  think  it  only 
a  bubble  ?  "  she  asked,  looking  up  into  his  face. 

Clay  caught  her  to  his  breast,  and  gazed  down 
into  her  eyes.  "  Leave  the  practical  solution  of  the 
question  to  the  rest  of  us,"  he  said.  "  Is  it  not 
enough  that  you  have  set  us  the  example,  given  us 
the  key-note  ?  " 

"  Hark,  Ernest,"  she  said,  listening  ;  "  there  is  that 
dreadful  noise  again.  Yesterday  all  the  danger  in 
the  world  would  not  have  terrified  me,  but  to-day  I 
have  to  think  of  you.  Why,  their  voices  sound 
nearer,''  she  added.  "  They  are  coming  up  the  road." 

They  rushed  to  the  window,  and  Clay  threw  open 
the  sash. 

"  Good  Heavens  !  The  villains  must  have  set  the 
mill  on  fire.  See !  "  he  exclaimed,  pointing  to  the 
sky.  "  And  you  are  right,  Evelyn,  some  of  them 
are  coming  this  way.  They  mean  mischief,  too. 
Listen  !  What  is  it  they  are  crying  ?  " 

A  dense  black  cloud  of  smoke  was  soaring  over 
the  'tree-tops  in  the  direction  of  the  town.  The 
bells  were  ringing  fiercely,  and  a  clamor  of  shouts 
proceeded  from  the  distance.  But  close  at  hand, 
as  it  seemed,  a  separate  crew  of  rioters  was  advanc 
ing  up  the  main  road  with  turbulent  outcries. 

"  Down  with  monopoly  !  To  hell  with  the  mill- 
owner  ! " 

"  Do  you  hear  that,  Evelyn  ?"  said  Clay.  "  They 
are  on  the  way  to  '  Seven  Oaks.' " 


FACE    TO  FACE.  381 

"  How  terrible  !  "  she  whispered.  They  are  after 
you.  Ernest.  Listen  to  them,  '  Death  to  the  mill- 
owner!'  Hide  You  must  hide  " 

Footsteps  were  heard  on  the  avenue,  and  one  of 
Evelyn's  foremen  appeared,  almost  breathless  with 
running. 

"  The  strikers  have  set  fire  to  the  Clyme  Valley," 
he  ejaculated  "The  boss  sent  me  to  let  you  know, 
ma'am.  The  Wisabet  is  in  no  danger.  There's  no 
grudge  against  you,  ma'am." 

"  But  who  are  these  men  coming  up  the  road  ?  " 
asked  Evelyn,  excitedly. 

"  More  of  'em.  They're  bound  for  '  Seven  Oaks.' 
There's  a  story  that  Mr.  Clay,  the  chief  owner  of 
the  Clyme  Valley,  arrived  last  night,  but  I  ain't  seen 
him." 

"  I  am  Mr.  Clay,"  said  Ernest.  "  How  near  are 
these  fellows  ? " 

The  man  stared  at  him  with  open  mouth.  "They 
won't  get  here  for  five  minutes,  sir.  There's  most 
of  them  drunk.  You've  plenty  of  time  to  give  'em 
the  slip." 

"  I  shall  be  able  to  reach  the  house,  then,  before 
they  come  in  sight,"  said  Clay,  turning  to  Evelyn. 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  What  is  it  you  propose 
to  do  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  am  going  to  '  Seven  Oaks.'  Goodby.  You  are 
safe  here.  Give  me  one  kiss,  Evelyn,  before  I  go." 

Clay  clasped  her  in  his  arms. 

"  But,  Ernest,  you  are  mad.  What  can  you  do 
against  them  ?  They  will  tear  you  to  pieces." 


FACE   TO  FACE. 

"Nonsense.  Even  if  they  should,  I  cannot  let 
them  burn  my  house  down  without  an  effort  to  save 
it.  Besides,  there  is  Gregory." 

"  I  will  go  too." 

"  No,  you  will  stay  here."* 

"  Ernest — Ernest !  " 

Clay  had  wrenched  himself  away  and  was  running 
rapidly  across  the  lawn  in  the  direction  of  his  estate. 
He  vaulted  an  intervening  fence  and  disappeared. 

Evelyn  stood  irresolute  and  dazed  with  alarm. 
"He  will  be  killed,"  she  murmured. 

The  voice  of  the  messenger  who  had  been  a  wit 
ness  of  the  scene  aroused  her.  "  If  you  like,  ma'am, 
I'll  go  after  him,"  he  said.  "  One  against  a  hundred 
of  them  sort  is  poor  odds." 

"Yes — yes,"  Evelyn  cried.  "You  go  after  him. 
And  tell  him — tell  him  that  I  have  gone  for  help." 
She  beckoned  to  one  of  the  servants  who  was  stand 
ing  near.  "  Have  my  horse  saddled  at  once.  Hurry ! 
Every  moment  is  of  importance,"  she  said. 

She  watched  the  men  start  on  their  respective 
errands  before  she  rushed  into  the  house.  A  mo 
ment  later  the  band  of  rioters  became  visible 
through  the  trees,  marching  along  the  road.  When 
they  reached  the  entrance  to  "  Highlands,"  they 
halted  for  a  moment  and  cheered  enthusiastically, 
Then  with  renewed  execrations,  in  which  the  name 
of  Clay  was  distinctly  audible,  they  started  forward. 


XIX. 

THE  first  sight  that  greeted  Andrew  De  Vito  as, 
with  rage  in  his  heart  and  an  oath  on  his  lips, 
he  came  out  from  "  Highlands,"  was  the  cloud  of 
smoke,  which  plainly  suggested  to  him  what  had 
taken  place.  The  tumult  and  the  clanging  of  the 
bells  left  not  the  slightest  reason  to  question  that 
the  rioting  operatives  had  become  incendiaries. 

For  an  instant  he  scanned  the  sky  and  listened 
with  eager  alertness,  then  started  on  the  full  run 
toward  the  town.  But,  when  about  half  way  there, 
he  came  upon  a  band  of  some  fifty  men  and  women 
of  various  nationalities  advancing  toward  him  with 
noisy  demonstrations. 

De  Vito  recognized  many  of  them  as  fellow-work 
men  of  former  days,  and  as  he  halted  a  number 
pressed  forward  to  acquaint  him  with  the  news  of 
what  had  already  taken  place,  with  the  confidence 
of  men  not  expecting  a  reproof,  for  although  he  had 
not  been  present  in  the  town  since  he  quitted  Eve 
lyn's  service,  his  connection  with  the  agents  whose 
recent  efforts  to  arouse  discontent  had  been  so  as 
siduous  was  well  known.  In  a  moment  he  was  in 
formed  that  the  obnoxious  mill  was  in  flames,  and 


384  FACE    TO   FACE. 

that  the  victors  were  on  the  way  to  complete  their 
work  by  the  destruction  of  "  Seven  Oaks." 

"  Tim  Sykes  says  that  Clay's  there  himself.  He 
swears  he  drove  him  there  last  night,"  said  one  of 
the  ring-leaders,  emphasizing  his  words  by  beating 
on  the  ground  his  heavy  stick.  "  But  Tim  Sykes  is 
drunk." 

The  fellow  indicated  with  a  backward  motion  of 
his  thumb  the  still  inebriated  driver,  who  was  stum 
bling  along  in  the  van  of  the  mob  under  the  halluci 
nation  that  his  information  would  be  incomplete 
until  he  had  guided  the  party  to  the  spot,  which  was 
perfectly  familiar  to  all. 

De  Vito's  eye  brightened  at  the  words.  "  Clay  is 
there.  I've  seen  him  this  morning,"  he  said. 

"  Do  you  hear  that,  boys  ?  He's  there,"  said  the 
former  speaker. 

A  loud  yell  greeted  the  announcement,  followed 
by  the  cries  "  We'll  smoke  him  out !  Hurrah  !  On 
to  '  Seven  Oaks  ! ' " 

"  If  you  don't  find  him  at  home — "  De  Vito  said. 
H«  hesitated.  "  But  you  will  find  him.  He's  there. 
I  tell  you  I've  seen  him  myself,"  he  added  with  a 
fierce  insistance,  as  though  he  wished  to  draw  atten 
tion  away  from  the  first  part  of  the  sentence.  "And 
I'll  tell  you  another  thing.  Clay  didn't  own  a  share 
«f  stock  in  the  mill  when  it  failed.  He  sold  every 
dollar's  worth  at  a  big  profit  What  do  you  think 
of  that  ? " 

Ho  spoke  *vith  his  clear,  impassioned  utterance, 
that  easily  inflamed  listeners. 


FACE    TO  FACE.  385 

4<  Ah  !  Did  he  !  "  exclaimed  several,  and  with 
another  more  infuriated  yell  the  troop  rushed  for 
ward,  waving  the  axes,  clubs,  and  other  implements 
more  or  less  formidable  with  which  they  were 
armed. 

"  Down  with  monopoly !  Death  to  the  mill 
owner  1 " 

The  threats  sounded  sweetly  in  De  Vito's  ear,  as 
he  watched  the  wretched  crew  stream  past  him. 
Those  in  the  rear  waved  to  him  to  follow,  but  he 
shook  his  head.  He  leaned  back  against  a  wall  with 
his  hands  in  his  pockets  and  his  feet  thrust  out  be 
fore  him.  He  remained  in  this  posture,  moodily  lost 
iu  thought.  As  the  now  distant  uproar  was  re 
peated  from  time  to  time  he  smiled  maliciously. 
A.t  the  sound  of  the  cheers  he  started  and  listened. 
Suddenly,  he  looked  up  at  the  sheer  wall  of  rock 
above  his  head.  He  stared  at  it  blankly  for  some 
moments,  then  shuffled  his  feet  and  frowned  as  he 
relapsed  into  his  former  attitude.  It  was  in  the 
path  at  the  top  of  this  abrupt  declivity,  and  almost 
in  a  direct  line  to  the  rear,  that  his  experience  with 
Evelyn  in  the  wood  had  occurred. 

A  moment  later  the  sound  of  a  galloping  horse 
became  audible,  and  leaning  forward,  De  Vito  de 
scried  her  who  was  in  his  thoughts  speeding  to 
ward  Mm.  Evelyn  rode  past  him  at  a  headlong  gait, 
looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  left  He  ran  for 
ward  into  the  middle  of  the  road,  and  stood  gazing 
after  her  with  his  hand  shading  his  eyes,  until  she 
was  out  of  sight.  As  he  turned,  he  perceived  for 


FACE    TO  FACE. 

the  first  time  a  column  of  smoke  rising  from  the  di 
rection  of  "  Seven  Oaks." 

"  Ah ! "  he  ejaculated. 

He  watched  this  eagerly  for  a  moment,  then 
started  to  retrace  his  steps  with  some  rapidity.  Pre 
sently  he  fell  into  a  quick  dog-trot,  which  increased 
in  rapidity  as  he  went  on.  The  terrible  din  oi 
drunken  voices,  every  moment  more  apparent, 
seemed  to  accelerate  his  pace. 

At  last,  as  he  reached  the  lawn,  De  Vito  came 
within  full  view  of  the  burning  house.  A  terrible 
sight  met  his  eyes.  The  old  homestead  was  com 
pletely  wrapped  in  flames,  and  around  the  roaring 
conflagration  a  mass  of  excited  men  and  women 
were  dancing  like  savages.  A  half-dozen  men,  nearer 
to  the  building  than  the  rest,  stood  gesticulating 
violently  with  their  faces  turned  upward,  and  every 
few  moments,  stimulated  by  the  dialogue  which  this 
group  was  apparently  carrying  on  with  some  one  in 
the  house,  a  roar  that  was  half  derisive  and  half  piti 
ful  arose  from  the  crowd. 

De  Vito  ran  through  the  line  of  women  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  throng,  some  of  whom  were  crying 
and  wringing  their  hands  under  the  influence  oi 
maudlin  excitement  and  horror.  The  blinding  smoke 
shut  out  the  truth  from  him  until  he  was  under  the 
shadow  of  the  walls.  Then  he  perceived  the  figure 
of  Clay,  standing  on  a  small  balcony  abutting  one  oi 
the  topmost  rooms.  The  lower  portion  of  the 
house  was  completely  in  flames,  there  were  gleam 
ing  lines  of  fire  peeping  out  from  under  the  roo£ 


FACE    TO   FACE.  387 

and  vast  columns  of  smoke  were  pouring  out  of  the 
windows,  veiling  at  moments  the  entire  structure 
from  view. 

Clay  stood  leaning  over  the  iron  railing  of  the  lit 
tle  balcony,  looking  down  at  the  crowd.  Close  be 
side  him  his  old  servant  Gregory  lay  in  a  heap,  ap 
parently  in  great  pain,  but  stretching  out  his  hands 
to  his  master  as  though  imploring  Clay  to  leave  him 
to  his  fate.  De  Vito  realized  that  they  had  been 
driven  by  the  heat  and  smoke  to  this  last  place  of 
refuge.  Exit  by  the  stairways  was  no  longer  pos 
sible.  The  balcony,  which  was  fifty  feet  from  the 
ground,  overlooked  a  wide  stone  flagging — a  for 
bidding  surface  upon  which  to  precipitate  one's  self. 

But  the  foremost  spirits  of  the  mob  were  urging 
Clay  to  try  that  mode  of  escape  as  a  last  resort,  mak 
ing  trumpets  of  their  hands  to  enforce  their  advice. 

"Jump  !  jump  !     It's  your  only  chance." 

"  Jump,  you  fool.  You  can't  save  the  old  man. 
The  house  will  be  about  your  ears  in  another  min 
ute." 

The  flames,  shooting  out  in  long  tongues  from  un 
der  the  now  freely  crackling  roof,  brought  dreadful 
corroboration  to  these  statements. 

"  Is  there  no  ladder  anywhere  about  ?"  cried  De 
Vito. 

"We  don't  know  of  none,"  answered  the  man  ad 
dressed,  who  was  one  of  the  ring-leaders.  "  We've 
asked  him  once.  Say,  is  there  a  ladder  handy  ? "  he 
bawled  up  to  Clay. 

Clay  shook  his  head. 


388  FACE    TO   FACE. 

"  It's  no  use,  he  can't  hear,"  said  another.  "Why 
don't  the  fool  jump  ?  He'll  only  break  his  legs,  may 
be.  There  he'll  roast  to  death." 

"  See  here,"  said  De  Vito,  excitedly,  seizing  the 
first  speaker  by  the  shoulder  ;  "  this  is  a  hanging  job. 
You'd  better  get  him  out  of  this." 

The  man,  who  was  one  of  the  few  who  were  sober, 
and  who  evidently  possessed  intelligence,  looked 
round  with  surly  anxiety.  "  It's  none  of  my  doing," 
he  said.  "  I  tried  my  best  to  keep  "em  down.  But 
what  ye're  going  to  do  with  chaps  like  those  ?  " 

He  indicated  with  a  wave  of  his  hand  the  back 
ground,  over  which  were  scattered,  in  various  stages 
of  debauch,  some  twenty  or  thirty  of  the  lawless 
wretches.  Clay's  wine  cellar,  reinforced  by  the 
stores  which  Willoughby  Pimlico  had  sent  for  the 
entertainment  of  his  projected  party,  had  been 
rifled  early  in  the  onset,  as  was  evidenced  by  the 
array  of  bottles  which  those  of  the  drivelling  anarch 
ists  still  able  to  stagger  effectually  were  shaking  in 
tipsy  glory  at  the  conflagration. 

"  Hasn't  anyone  a  rope  ? "  cried  De  Vito.  "  There 
must  be  a  rope  somewhere,"  he  said,  glancing  about 
him. 

"We  didn't  mean  him  any  harm,"  said  another 
who,  having  heard  De  Vito's  hint  as  to  the  possible 
consequences  of  what  was  taking  place,  was  not  too 
inebriated  to  disdain  an  attempt  at  exculpation. 
"We  were  only  for  scaring  him  a  bit,  but  the  old 
man  shot  and  that  roused  the  boys.  D'yer  see  ? 
It  wern't  no  fault  of  ours." 


FACE    TO  FACE.  3*9 

"  What  old  man  ?     Shot  whom  ?  "  asked  De  Vita 

"  Old  Gregory,  up  there  in  the  balcony.  He 
killed  Tim  Sykes  with  a  pistol.  Then  somebody 
broke  his  legs  with  a  brickbat,  and  after  that  we 
drove  'em  up-stairs,  and  they  ain't  come  down  since, 
and  I  guess  they  won't  in  a  hurry.  Why  don't  the 
blamed  fool  jump  ? "  he  continued,  by  way  of  an 
tithesis  to  the  preceding  remark. 

"Come  down  out  of  that,"  yelled  a  still  more  in 
toxicated  individual.  "  Gentl'man  in  the  fust  row 
of  the  balcony  !  Hoorah  !  Down  with  monopoly  ! " 
The  miscreant  waved  a  champagne  bottle  in  De 
Vito's  face. 

"Get  away  from  me,"  cried  De  Vito.  "Some 
thing  must  be  done  here,"  he  exclaimed  excitedly, 
appealing  to  the  throng. 

But  the  leaders  were  now  standing  with  their 
hands  in  their  pockets,  convinced  apparently  of  the 
uselessness  of  further  efforts.  It  was  plain  that  all 
would  be  over  in  a  very  few  moments,  unless  succor 
of  some  sort  arrived.  They  had  weaned  of  urging 
Clay  to  jump.  Clearly, , he  was  determined  not  to 
desert  his  old  servant.  He  looked  so  composed  as 
he  stood  there  bareheaded,  gazing  down  at  the  mob, 
that  it  seemed  as  though  it  were  impossible  he  could 
realize  the  terrible  danger  which  threatened  him. 
It  was,  however,  doubtless  the  composure  of  one 
who  feels  that  he  has  nothing  to  hope  from  those 
into  whose  power  he  has  fallen.  From  time  to  time 
he  glanced  in  the  direction  of  Highlands,  as  if  he  felt 
that  his  only  chance  of  succor  lay  in  that  quarter. 


390  FACE    TO  FACE. 

The  house  was  a  fine  old  mansion,  built  according 
to  the  Colonial  type.  The  lofty  balcony  where  Clay 
and  Gregory  had  sought  shelter,  was  directly  over 
the  front  entrance,  which  was  situated  midway  be 
tween  the  wings.  The  fire,  which  had  been  started 
in  the  cellar,  had  enveloped  the  entire  lower  stories 
and  then,  spreading  sideways,  had  crept  up  the  out 
side  walls,  making  as  it  were  a  ring  of  flame  around 
the  threatened  victims. 

De  Vito  ran  up  the  stone  steps  with  the  apparent 
design  of  attempting  to  force  a  passage  through 
the  hall,  but  the  heat  and  smoke  instantly  drove  him 
back.  As  he  stood  baffled  and  dismayed,  he  sud 
denly  perceived  two  of  the  rioters  come  reeling 
round  a  corner  of  the  house,  dragging  some  object 
behind  them.  It  was  no  other  than  the  operative 
who  had  volunteered  to  go  to  Clay's  assistance, 
who,  severely  cut  about  the  head  and  covered  with 
dirt,  was  being  trotted  about  as  a  tame  bear  by  the 
drunken  scapegraces  who  had  appropriated  him. 
A  glance  revealed  to  De  Vito  that  he  had  found 
a  possible  means  of  deliverance  for  Clay  in  the 
rope  with  which  the  man  was  bound  and  being 
led. 

"  Lend  a  hand  here,"  he  cried,  and  springing 
forward,  he  proceeded  without  ceremony  to  undo 
the  fastenings.  With  a  blow  of  his  elbow  he 
doubled  up  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  simulated 
animal,  who  was  disposed  to  resent  this  interference 
with  his  right  of  property. 

Fortunately  the  rope  was  long  and  light.     Ea- 


FACE    TO  FACE.  391 

gerly  scanning  the  ground,  DC  Vito  picked  up  a 
scrap  of  iron  which  he  tied  securely  to  the  end  of 
the  coil. 

"  Now  if  you  want  to  save  your  necks,"  he  ex 
claimed,  "lend  a  hand." 

So  saying,  he  hurled  the  projectile  toward  the 
balcony.  The  first  attempt  failed  of  success,  but  at 
the  next  Clay,  leaning  over,  caught  a  bit  of  the  rope, 
a  result  which  was  greeted  with  the  cordial  shouts 
of  the  spectators. 

"  Fasten  it  to  the  railing,"  bellowed  De  Vito, 
through  his  palms. 

A  score  of  men  were  now  in  full  sympathy  with 
the  scheme  of  rescue  and  ready  with  advice. 

"  Let  yourself  down  ! "  roared  several. 

" Never  mind  the  old  man.  You  can't  save  him" 
cried  others. 

"  Hold  on,"  said  De  Vito,  savagely,  to  them. 
"  This  is  my  affair.  He  can't  lower  the  old  man 
without  help." 

Tossing  aside  his  hat  and  stripping  off  his  coat,  he 
seized  the  rope  with  both  hands  and,  bearing  for  a 
moment  his  full  weight  upon  it  to  make  sure  that 
it  was  safe,  he  began  to  ascend  hand  over  hand, 
before  the  others  realized  his  purpose.  Swung 
close  to  the  wall  of  the  house,  as  was  inevitable,  he 
was  almost  shrouded  in  the  thick  black  smoke  pour 
ing  from  the  windows.  His  head  was  craned  as  far 
away  from  the  peril  as  was  possible,  but  he  seemed 
to  climb  with  exceeding  despatch.  Breathless,  the 
mob  looked  on  and  wondered.  Up — up  he  went, 


392  PACE    TO   FACE. 

until  at  last  his  fingers  grasped  the  iron  railing  ami 
he  lifted  himself  inside. 

As  Clay  described  in  narrating  the  affair  after 
ward,  De  Vito's  naturally  dark  complexion  looked 
swarthy  as  an  Indian's,  and  his  wonderful  eyes 
blazed  like  meteors  under  his  mane  of  tangled 
hair. 

"  The  old  man  first,"  De  Vito  cried,  and  he  began 
to  haul  up  the  rope. 

Clay  turned  to  Gregory  and  said,  "  He  is  going  to 
save  you.  Come,  let  me  raise  you." 

"  Leave  me,  leave  me,  Master  Ernest.  Save  your 
self  while  there  is  time." 

Clay  made  a  sign  to  De  Vito,  and  stooping  down, 
lifted  up  the  helpless  servant.  De  Vito  twisted  and 
bound  the  rope  around  Gregory's  body.  Between 
them  they  carried  the  old  man  to  the  edge  of  the 
balcony  and,  despite  his  remonstrances,  began  slowly 
to  lower  him.  He  reached  the  ground  in  safety,  a 
fact  announced  to  the  two  men  above  by  the  cessa 
tion  of  their  burden  and  the  burst  of  applause  which 
occurred  at  the  same  moment. 

But  warning  cries  followed,  which  were  not  neces 
sary  to  acquaint  those  still  unrescued  that  not  a  mo 
ment  was  to  be  lost.  The  roar  of  the  flames  was 
horrible  and  the  heat  so  great  that  Clay  was  forced 
to  lean  out  over  the  balcony  to  avoid  exhaustion. 
Meantime  De  Vito  had  hauled  up  the  rope  again. 

"Quick,"  De  Vito  cried.     "You  next." 

Clay  shook  his  head. 

With  an  impetuous  gesture  De  Vito  forced  a  noose 


FACE   TO  FACE.  393 

over  Clay's  shoulders.  "  You  must,"  he  said,  im 
periously.  "There  is  time  enough  if  you  obey  me. 
Go,  for  her  sake,"  he  murmured. 

The  eyes  of  the  two  men  met. 

Clay,  without  a  word,  climbed  over  the  railing  and 
clasping  the  rope,  was  let  down  inch  by  inch.  A 
dozen  hands  received  him  at  the  bottom.  Just  as  he 
alighted  a  crowd  of  men,  with  Evelyn  on  horseback 
at  their  head,  came  rushing  across  the  lawn.  They 
were  the  operatives  from  her  mill  who,  at  her  solici 
tation,  had  come  to  see  fair  play. 

But  all  eyes  were  strained  on  De  Vito,  who  was 
fastening  the  rope  for  a  second  time.  Just  as  he 
had  completed  the  knot  and  was  on  the  point  of 
preparing  to  let  himself  down,  a  cry  of  horror  arose 
from  the  multitude  which  was  mingled  with  a  mighty 
crash  and  roar.  For,  almost  in  a  breath,  the  charred 
roof  had  fallen  in,  bearing  with  it  into  a  glowing 
gulf  of  fire  that  portion  of  the  front  of  the  house  to 
which  the  balcony  was  joined.  By  a  desperate  leap 
De  Vito  was  able  to  save  himself  from  being  swept 
backward  into  the  molten  furnace  ;  but  to  little 
purpose,  for  he  descended  with  terrible  force,  describ 
ing  a  somersault  in  his  course,  and  struck  on  the 
stone  pavement  below. 

"  He  is  killed,"  was  the  agonized  cry. 

He  was  picked  up  senseless.  It  was  evident  that 
he  was  seriously  injured,  but  he  still  breathed. 

Evelyn,  to  whom  the  explanation  of  the  whole 
affair  had  been  given  in  a  few  hasty  words,  knelt 
down  beside  his  prostrate  body,  and  finding  that  life 


394  FACE   TO  FACE. 

was  not  yet  extinct,  ordered  him  to  be  carried  at 
once  to  "  Highlands."  Exhausted  as  he  was,  Clay 
had  already  flung  himself  on  Evelyn's  horse  and  was 
riding  with  might  and  main  to  the  village  for  a  doc 
tor.  It  was  a  sad  procession  that  turned  its  back 
on  the  smouldering  ruins,  and  slunk  back  to  the  vil 
lage. 

Evelyn  and  Clay  watched  through  the  night  by 
De  Vito's  bedside.  The  doctor  had  informed  them 
that  his  injuries  were  fatal.  De  Vito  lay  breath 
ing  stertorously.  He  had  not  recovered  conscious 
ness. 

They  sat  hand  in  hand,  too  full  of  feeling  to  talk 
much.  Clay  told  her  the  details  of  the  attack 
on  "  Seven  Oaks  ; "  how  he  had  remonstrated  with 
the  turbulent  crowd  and  endeavored  to  dissuade 
them  from  violence  ;  how  they  had  insulted  him  and 
twitted  him  with  selling  his  stock,  and  had  finally 
burst  into  the  house  from  various  directions  and  be 
gun  to  pillage.  It  appeared  that  Gregory,  in  an  ex 
cess  of  zeal,  had  then  fired  a  pistol  and  killed  one  ot 
the  invaders,  only  to  be  felled  to  the  ground  the  next 
moment.  The  poor  old  man  had  managed  to  crawl 
up-stairs  while  Clay  and  the  mill  hand  had  guarded 
the  landing  ;  whereupon  the  miscreants  had  set  fire 
to  the  house,  and  effectually  cut  off  all  egress  ex 
cept  at  the  alternative  of  leaving  Gregory  to  his 
fate.  The  mill  hand  had  escaped  from  one  of  the 
windows. 

"  And  was  De  Vito  with   them  from   the   first  ?  * 
asked  Evelyn. 


FAC£    TO  FACE.  395 

"  No.  He  arrived  when  the  house  was  in  flames. 
It  was  he  who  told  them  about  the  stock,"  answered 
Clay. 

Shortly  after  midnight  De  Vito  began  to  stir  in 
his  bed  and  utter  guttural  sounds,  which  became  al 
most  articulate.  Presently  he  sat  up  and  opened 
his  eyes.  His  expression  was  that  of  a  person  labor 
ing  under  excitement.  At  last  the  words  followed, 
spoken  in  a  hoarse  whisper,  in  short  jerky  sen 
tences. 

"  Culture — ha[! — culture  !  To  be  warm — and  re 
fined — and  luxurious,  that's  the  end  of  it  all.  That's 
what  they  are  content  with.  You  must  help  your 
selves.  D'y  you  hear  ? "  He  paused,  and  glared 
about  him  fiercely.  "  On,  I  tell  you.  What's  the 
good  of  waiting?  It's  no  use,  lady.  There's  too 
few  of  you. — Ah  !  it's  she — Evelyn  ! — Evelyn  !  I 
have  her  at  last.  She's  mine,  she's  mine.  What  is 
that  you  say  ?  Who  was  it  sent  her  the  patent  ? 
I'll  kill  him  and  hang  for  it.  Ah  !  she  despises  me. 
I'm  not  good  enough  for  her." 

"Poor  fellow,"  murmured  Evelyn. 

"See,"  De  Vito  suddenly  continued,  "they've 
done  it.  How  it  blazes  !  It's  none  of  my  work.  I 
didn't  tell  'em  to."  He  rubbed  his  hands  gleefully. 
"  Ha  !  Where's  she  riding  ?  She'll  be  too  late.  A 
rope— give  me  that  rope.  The  old  man's  too  heavy. 
Quick — quick  !  •  My  hands  are  callous.  I'm  big — 
and — strong.  Now.  For  her  sake  —  for — her — 
sake." 

De  Vito  gasped   for  breath,  stretching  out  his 


FACE   TO  FACE. 

fingers  wildly,  then  sank  back  on  the  pillow.     He 
was  dead. 

Evelyn  and  Clay  knelt  together  at  the  bedside. 
"  Dearest,"  she  said  with  her  face  turned  to  hor 
*o*er,  "  we  have  our  lives  before  us," 


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